


Enchanted (As You Wish)

by Lil_Britain83



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adult Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), F/F, Princess Emma Swan, Roni's Bar (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2019-09-26 11:03:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 40,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17140595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Britain83/pseuds/Lil_Britain83
Summary: Princess Emma in the Enchanted Forest has dreams of a beautiful brunette, she makes a wish on her birthday that takes her to an unknown land. Meanwhile Roni a sexy, sarcastic bar owner is helping her best friend raise a daughter who believes they are all frozen in time in a curse. What happens when these two worlds collide?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is for @_starsthatburn an inspiration to us all. This idea was written based on a post on Twitter of Roni meeting Princess Emma. I hope everyone enjoys my version of these two and a sort of mixture of the wish realm and season 7. Warning this is not about smut BUT I am working on a smut one shot of these two characters for those who are looking forward to that. LOL.

Princess Emma was born to Queen Snow White and King David of the White Kingdom. They kept it the White Kingdom after Snow’s dad passed even though David’s last name is Nolan. To be honest Snow White is the real head of the household and the kingdom, David would never admit it but he is totally whipped. King David is good and just, he defeated the Evil Queen alongside Snow White (because she never backs down from a fight) and they decided long ago to do everything together. The Evil Queen has been stripped of her magic and banished and their Kingdom has been in peace ever since. 

Princess Emma has never known evil, dark magic or danger. Still she is cautious when she leaves the castle and usually there are guards with her. Sometimes she sneaks out for some alone time in the forest, where she can sing and pick flowers and think in peace. Lately she has only been thinking of one thing, well person really. A beautiful brunette woman who plagues her dreams nightly. She has this recurring dream of the brunette and saving her from some kind of curse. In this dream she feels loved, needed, wanted and is called a Savior. In this dream she has a purpose, a destiny, she has adventures and she wakes feeling like something is missing. 

Something about these dreams feels right, like this is who she should be and not a princess who stands by and smiles and waves, makes polite conversation and will be forced to marry someday. She wants to be independent, have adventure, be needed for more than a pretty face. She has learned all of the ways of the Queen’s court of course, she knows strategy, negotiations and everything she will need to know as Queen one day but it doesn’t feel like enough. Emma wants more for her life, she wants an epic love, she wants what she reads about in stories or has heard of from her parents. She doesn’t want anything bad to happen to anyone but she wishes she could for once be a brave knight breaking a curse with True Love’s kiss or save someone from a runaway horse, slay a dragon like her father, and just be a hero. But she instead is alone and will never be any of those things. 

Princess Emma is just a princess with everything she could ever need or want handed to her but it feels empty. Emma feels empty and it’s horrible. She's tired of forcing laughter, faking smiles, the same old tired lonely place. She feels like half her heart is missing, like a piece of her is out there somewhere possibly missing her too and for some reason she feels it has something to do with this brunette in her dreams. Because while she is dreaming, this is the only time she feels whole. This woman in her dreams has a small scar above her lip, has piercing brown eyes, an intense stare, and she feels safe, secure and complete just being next to her. In her dream they both have magic, they do amazing and wonderful things together and she feels it’s her destiny. 

She sees them for the first time in what looks like a yard in front of a building that feels like a home but looks foreign, the playful conversation starts countering her quick remarks, like passing notes in secrecy. There usually are other people around but it’s like the two of them have their own language, like only they know or acknowledge the meaning to their words. It’s exciting, mysterious, and all she can say is it is enchanting, Emma is enchanted to meet this brunette, but this dream feels like more than a meeting, more like a lifetime of knowing this woman. All Emma wants is to find this woman, she has to know if she is real and what these dreams mean. 

Too many flashes of fighting with this woman, next to her, using magic, light touches, many moments of almost kisses, their eyes convey everything they can't say out loud. This doesn't feel like dreams it feels like memories but it's confusing because she's in clothes she doesn't recognize, the woman is sometimes dressed in a blouse and pencil skirt and sometimes in a leather jacket, cut off sleeved shirts and tight jeans. Sometimes they are in a small town and sometimes in a bar in the city. She can hear this woman call her name “Emma!” in fear and “Em-ma” seductive, “Emma” in whispers. It feels real. It must be...right? No, it can't be, because she's here in the castle, she's no Savior and she's never seen this woman here. But maybe her mom has. 

“ Emma, what is it honey?” Her mom asks sweetly as she enters the throne room. “Mom, I'm having those dreams again of the woman and me being a Savior” Snow shakes her head. “Emma, we talked about this , you read and listen to too many stories, your imagination takes over your dreams that's all. These are just old stories nothing more.” “But mom, it feels so real. And what about this woman? Have you ever seen her here? She's beautiful, brown eyes, brown hair, her posture regal, maybe she is royalty in another region?” Snow giggles “honey that could literally be anyone.” “What about a scar? A scar above her lip.” Snow's face falls, “That's impossible the only woman who matches that description is the Evil Queen and she was banished before you were born. Why don't you take a walk or go to the garden that usually helps clear your head.” Emma frowns, her mother is right, it could be anyone, she doesn't have a name in order to search for her or ask properly, she sighs. “Yeah ok.” Snow pats her shoulder as she walks towards the garden slightly defeated. The Evil Queen though...no it can’t be, can it? Emma shakes her head and continues on, of course it’s not The Evil Queen, she would be way too old now. But instead of the garden she takes a detour to the library. She searches and searches for any proof of this Evil Queen, so many stories she has heard from her parents and the castle staff but never any proof she existed. There are many paintings in the castle of Snow with her parents as a child but never anything, not even a drawing of the step mother who turned Evil Queen. Emma just needs to be sure, this woman doesn’t seem evil in her dreams but these dreams feel like an entirely different life. She finally finds one charcoal drawing...a young woman..not evil and not a queen…it simply says Regina, nothing more and nothing less. There is no scar visible, a small smile that doesn’t light up her face as it does in her dreams, it’s too hard to tell if this could be her or not. It looks like her, maybe a younger version, but even if it is, it still proves nothing and tells Emma nothing but she still takes the drawing and hides it in her room. She looks at it from time to time, it’s the only way she feels connected while she’s awake even though she has no solid proof this is the same woman, she feels like it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we find out a little of Emma's past. It's also Emma's birthday, she feels alone even in the crowded room so with everyone watching her she makes her wish...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years Everyone. It's New year eve for me and my brother is in town visiting so tomorrow I won't have time to post so here is the chapter a day early. 
> 
> FYI this fic does have Taylor Swift lyrics throughout it and yes it was on purpose lol. Also this wasn't going to have smut in it at all but I re-read the whole story from start to finish and ended up not only editing and adding details but also adding a whole new ending chapter with smut so enjoy when you get there! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone already reading this.

It’s Princess Emma’s 28th birthday today, which means a huge party at the castle, food, cake, gifts and lots of people. She wouldn’t say friends, more like subjects because yes the kingdom is here but really are any of them her friends? I mean she doesn’t exactly get out much and when she does the guards are with her so she can’t make friends. Her family is loved in the White Kingdom and highly respected, they rule very gracious and fair, but at the end of the day she is royalty and no one is just lining up to be her friend. Most people either pretend because they are scared of offending royalty, or they are only interested in getting ahead. It’s hard for Emma, she can tell when someone is lying which means she sees from a mile away when someone is trying to use her. Which can be a blessing and a curse. 

_Eventually she just stopped trying to make friends. She took to hikes through the forest and communing with nature as her mother would say. Her only friends were the animals but she was okay with that mostly. It was a nice place to think, good exercise, and she could sing without being bothered, by people anyway. That’s when she had met Baelfire, he was a loner himself, she stumbled across him during one of her walks in the Enchanted Forest. Like literally stumbled and fell into him when she had tripped on a stray tree root sticking out of the ground._

_He had been called to be a soldier, he was in a squire uniform, practicing to try out for knighthood. Not long after they met he started courting Emma, her parents were so pleased, they loved Neal he was good to Emma and they were ready for a wedding. Emma wasn’t ready to get married but she did love Bae and he loved her. He complimented her in ways no one else had, they were happy but not in any rush. Not long after he made it to be a Knight he was called to the war. Unfortunately he did not make it home. Emma didn’t think she could be any more heart broken then that fateful day, but she was wrong._

_When she found out she was pregnant she was devastated, it was just a reminder that he was gone and now she had to raise a child alone. Well she had her parents but she was a teenager and her lover was gone, the father was gone. She couldn’t imagine how she would get through this. Luckily her parents were supportive, they were not happy about the pregnancy because of what it meant as far as them not waiting for marriage but they were not about to let Emma do this alone. So Emma had Henry and raised him with the help of her parents and now he is on his way to great things himself, almost a man already, she can’t believe time flew by so fast._ She is drawn from her thoughts by the noise of the growing crowd there for her special day. 

The ballroom is full of people dressed in ball gowns, suits and expensive jewelry. Emma is in a more simple white dress with a white spotted hooded fur wrap around her shoulders. It’s comfortable for her but still elegant enough for the party. Her hair is down, curls flowing but one braid from each side frames her face and meets in the middle of the back of her head. Small white flowers danced across the back of her long blonde hair and a tiara sits perfectly at the top of her head, completing the royal look. 

There is a long table of food, gifts and desserts. Her parents that have raised her are here, her son Henry is here and yet she still feels alone. Something doesn’t feel real and she can’t shake this dream she keeps having about a city called Hyperion Heights, her being something called the Savior and a woman who ran a bar. There is something familiar about this woman but foreign at the same time. She needs to know what it means, who is this woman and how can she get to her? It's been almost a year of these dreams but they are more specific now and different but still she is drawn to this woman, maybe even more now than before. Especially since this time when she woke up the Savior's sword appeared under her bed and she has no idea what to make of it.

“Emma, honey where have you been, where did you get that sword?” An inquisitive, concerned look on her mother’s face stares back at her, she’s not sure what to say, after all she doesn’t know where the sword came from. So she explains the dreams she is having. “And then the sword just appeared under my bed.” “Emma honey you know the stories of a Savior are just stories.” her mother answered but before they could examine the situation with the sword more Henry jogged up in his Knight uniform as he just came from practicing. “Is that for me?” The smile on his face was so large that Emma couldn’t deny him. “Yes, it’s an early present for your Knight ceremony.” She smiled back at her son as he took the sword. “Thank you Mom, but today should be about you.” “We have plenty of time for me, look around we have a celebration already.” Her mother, Snow White took her arm “Speaking of, we should get going with the rest of the celebration, everyone is waiting for you to blow out your candles and make your wish.” Emma turns her face slightly with a half smile, half smirk and answers. “Mom, I’m not a child anymore.” Her mother smiled her warmest smile back at her as she shook her head. “I know but still it’s tradition.” 

As Emma makes her way to the front of everyone to stand behind the table so that she is facing the crowd she thinks about what her wish should be. She has everything she could ever want right? A family, a kingdom to inherit, she wants for nothing but yet still feels alone, incomplete. So after the crowd sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Princess waiting with expectant eyes, she blows out her candle as she makes her wish. Her wish to feel whole, complete, not alone, and at the same time she pictures the woman at the bar. Somehow the image of this woman brings her peace and a smile as she is done blowing the candle out, everyone claps. 

When she opens her eyes she is no longer in the castle, or in her world by the looks of it. She takes in her surroundings, the people in strange clothes and the sign above her that says ‘Roni’s Bar’ and suddenly she knows where she is. But how? She’s in her dream world but is this a dream? Thoroughly confused she knows all she can do is seek out the brunette from her dreams and hopefully find some answers. She looks through the window of the bar and sees the brunette, she is so much sexier in person. The way her jeans hug her hips tightly, her sleeveless black shirt that has the Roni’s bar logo on it and her hair short and curly. God she needs to be close to this woman, but why, she is not sure. All the princess knows is she is drawn to her and since she has been dreaming of her she may be the only one who can answer why she is here and how.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we meet Roni. This is a little back story on her before our two girls meet.

Roni is a bar owner, well technically her sister and her both own it but she runs it and makes all the decisions. Kelly her sister is a spin cycle instructor who is engaged and barely comes by to even visit anymore much less run the bar. 

Roni is used to doing things alone, a single woman who tried to adopt and failed because they frown on a single woman bar owner apparently and deemed her unfit to raise a child. She's more than capable but she shrugged it off, maybe this isn't the right atmosphere for a kid to be raised in but damn she deserves to be happy and loved too, doesn't she? Either way she still trucks along, opens the bar with a smile every day and listens to everyone else's problems, forgetting hers for a time. 

If she's honest her problems are piling up lately because the rents been raised, profits are down and Kelly thinks they should sell the bar. That's the last thing Roni wants, this is the one thing she's done right and it's hers. It's a place she can create things and make people smile, she can make a small difference to people here. What is she supposed to do without the bar? 

Her thoughts are pulled away by Lucy her friend's daughter showing her a photo and screaming “Henry's book is real!” Roni shakes her head and looks around. “Shh. You can't be yelling about fairy tales in the bar, people are staring.” She waves her hand. “ Nothing to see here folks.” One man gives her a sideways stare like she disturbed him. “What?! You never seen a child before? Get over it and back to your drink.” Everyone shrugs and goes back to their conversations and drinks, even the man she was just basically yelling at shook his head and went back to watching the game on the TV over the bar. “Lucy the book can't be real, I'm not old enough to be your grandma, your mom maybe but I'm no grandmother for sure!”

Lucy rolls her eyes “I told you it's because of the dark curse.” “Ah yes 28 years of not aging, right.” She says sarcastically with a pointed look to Lucy. “Lucy look I love you but this isn't healthy. Why don't you play with your friends or get some video games, do something normal kids do and have fun instead of trying to make us all believe we are fairy tale characters.” Lucy sighs “You know I don't really have many friends. Plus Henry needs our help and we need to get back home.” 

“ Lucy I don't know about you, but I'm no fairy tale character and if I was I wouldn't be the Evil Queen I mean I'm not that bad.” She laughs but she means it. She leans over and caresses Lucy's cheek “You are a wonderful girl, with a big heart. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to be your friend. Now run along home, a bar is not the place for a child by themselves and I gotta get back to work.”   
Lucy sighs “Okay but I'll leave this with you, it's proof.” She slides a photo of what looks like Roni but in a blouse and suit jacket, with a blue green eyed blonde woman in a red leather jacket and a young boy who looks like a fair mix of them both. His brown hair like Roni's and deep green eyes as if a mixture of brown and the blue-green, for obvious reasons it's impossible he is theirs since neither is a man, besides the fact she's never met this woman or child yet here she is in this photo. Almost as if it's from another life, she's drawn to it and before she can look up questioningly, Lucy is gone. 

Roni is lonely and this picture only serves as a reminder of what she doesn't have... family. These three look comfortable, happy and loved. They look like they've been a family unit for years, of course she is just speculating since there is no background story here besides the famous book of Henry's but that of course is not real. The only thing she can think of is this is Photo-shopped and she is being tricked. A cruel joke that jabs her heart. Roni wants love more than anything and her sister knows this. Her sister has a family, a daughter and fiancee, maybe she is working with Lucy or she sent it to Lucy to get to Roni. An early April Fool’s joke, a reminder that Kelly won, she is the better sister, the happier of the two, the long term rivalry finally winning out. Or maybe Lucy really got to her..no she would never believe they are all fairy tale characters...so what’s her end game here? To rub Roni’s face in that fact that she is still alone, still single running the bar, a dead end job as Kelly had called it. Either way she will get to the bottom of it. 

“Kelly I'm sorry I understand now that you didn't do this but if it wasn't you, then what is really going on?” She nods her head to the voice on the other end of the phone. “So what do I do?” She's pacing now, in her apartment alone, she had called and accused her sister of this horrible joke and it wasn't her. “You will?! Really? You would do that for me?” She smiles as her sister promises to come help her find out who sent the picture to Lucy or where it came from. “Thank you Kelly, see you soon.” Her and Kelly haven't been close for a while but long ago they were so it shouldn't be a surprise that Kelly would come to her aide. Maybe this is her chance to fix things with Kelly, her family, she thinks as she traces the outline of the blonde with her finger, a habit she has formed since obtaining the picture. 

Roni wakes in a cold sweat from dreams...no, nightmares...no, memories? She’s not sure, either way she is haunted by flashes of her and this blonde woman, fighting, laughing, crying, nothing that gives her much details but enough to know she knows her in the dream. There’s a flash of her opening a door to a house...more like a mansion and seeing this woman. She’s beautiful, fresh, raw, comfortable in her jeans and leather jacket the small awkward “Hi” that leaves her mouth makes Roni warm and smug at the same time. All she wants to do is tell her how wonderful and enchanting it is to meet her, but she can’t because there’s a child yelling something at her that makes her cringe and it’s all she can do to not lash out. Only this isn’t entirely Roni, she doesn’t wear dresses, she’s not stiff and smug, she is relaxed and candid, or blunt some would say. She invites the blonde in for a drink, she glares at her wanting to rip her clothes off and kill her at the same time. She's no doubt attracted to this woman but also hates her but she masks her feelings and replies with snarky remarks all but kicking the blonde out. This feels like her and looks like her but at the same time it isn’t her. She wakes from these scenes confused and frustrated in ways she hasn’t been in a long time. 

She looks at the clock and notices the time. She really should sleep, tomorrow is gonna be a long day. She plays the dreams back wondering what the hell it is about this woman she can’t shake, and this boy who feels like hers but isn’t. It’s everything she’s wanted and never had but she doesn’t have it and it leaves her feeling all the more empty.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our lovely ladies finally meet today! Enjoy!
> 
> “Hello.. I’m Princess Emma and I need your help.” At this point Roni was placing the bottle on the wall behind the bar so at hearing this she scoffs. “Yeah right and I’m the ‘Evil Queen.” 
> 
> (dialogue idea from twitter post @applespuzzles)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on Twitter my user id is the same as it is here. I post all the updates on Twitter for each chapter and my other fics and art as well. I will be available to Tweet for any comments or questions about the story also. 
> 
> As always thanks for reading.

Today starts as any other day as Roni gets ready to open the bar. She rushes around the stockroom making sure everything is fully stocked and ready. She cleans the counter tops, checks the bottles behind the bar lined up on the wall, takes all the chairs off the table tops and takes a satisfied look around when everything is in place. She has a few moments to herself before opening so she pours herself a drink. It’s not normal for her to drink on the job but she has a lot going on lately. 

Roni has been stressed about selling the bar and it doesn’t help that Lucy is still spouting nonsense about her being Henry’s mother. Lucy is her friend Jacinda’s daughter who is convinced this author Henry is Roni’s son and Lucy’s Dad. Lucy says there is a curse and her other (step) grandma Victoria has something to do with it. The whole thing is crazy and she tries to tell Lucy this is all just based on a book, a story Henry wrote similar to what she is claiming is happening now. She isn’t even old enough to have a son almost her own age, I mean how would that even be possible she thinks to herself. But then again there’s this photo of her and what she is told is Henry and a blonde that haunts her dreams, this “Henry” is much younger in this photo but she looks the same. She is in different clothes and they are in a diner she doesn’t recognize but her face is the same as if she hasn’t aged and something is familiar about the blonde, something she still can’t shake but no one seems to know who she is, she knows because she's asked. Roni has never seen her before, not that she can remember but there she is in this picture with her. She is beautiful, and they look so happy, like a family, and for some reason the thought of that makes her heart swell and a smile creep up one side. Roni doesn’t really have family she only has Kelly who still isn't her best friend but has stuck by her in their pursuit of the origin of the photo. The pursuit of which they have had no luck with so far but Kelly still has stayed, she actually likes that they have mended their relationship enough for her to feel like old times here at the bar with Roni. It used to be Kelly and Roni's pub until Kelly left and Roni changed it to just Roni's. 

She stares at the photo of the three of them on the counter top. Her fingers trace the outline of the blonde, her red leather jacket, her smile, her blue eyes that have spots of green and flecks of gold around her pupil. She’s absolutely stunning, familiar, and again she’s drawn to her like a magnet but has no memory of her. Who is this woman? Her face scrunches, eyebrows furrow, she's highly concentrated on the photo, she wonders where this picture came from, where they are supposed to be at and what the hell is she wearing? She has never owned a jacket like that in her life, or any kind of blouses, her hair in the picture is straighter and longer. And this kid….

A ding of the front door breaks her concentration and she throws the photo under the counter quickly as she sees her worst enemy walking towards her. With a manila folder in her hand and heels clacking on the tile she walks with purpose towards Roni. “Victoria, I’m not open yet and just because you are buying the bar soon doesn’t mean you can barge in, you don’t own it yet so you can wait like everyone else.” Roni spits out at a low husky growl. This woman has been nothing but trouble and though she is offering a pretty penny for the bar and Roni needs the money, it’s still not something she wants to do and all Victoria cares to do is shove it in her face.

“Yes I am aware, but I came to drop off the paperwork for you to sign on my way into the office.” With her tight posture and slight proper English accent and tight condescending smile.  
“Thank you I will look it over and if everything is in order I will sign it. You can come back for it later." And with a wave of her hand Roni finishes. “Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to getting ready to open the bar.” With a nod Victoria turns on her heels and starts to leave right as Jacinda comes barreling in with Lucy. 

“Where have you been all day and why isn't Lucy in school!?” Victoria asks basically scolding Jacinda like a child. “It's fine she ran off at recess but I found her and-” she doesn't finish, Victoria doesn't let her. She doesn't let her do much of anything. “This is exactly why I shouldn't have let you stay with your mother.” She says looking at Lucy. “I think it's time you move back in with me.” 

“Grandma no! I'm sorry I was just planting seeds I wanted to give the neighborhood hope and -” Victoria holds her hand up. “That's quite enough. Jacinda, I expect you to have Lucy back to me by the weekend that should give you time to pack her things.” “You can't do that! I won't let u take her!” She stares at Victoria in defiance but Victoria is as proper and calm as ever when she replies. “ We'll see about that.” The next thing they hear is heals clacking out the door as she exits. 

“Well looks like you two aren't having a banner day either.” Jacinda shakes her head. “I don't know what to do anymore Roni. Victoria looks for any little thing to hold against me. We came by to make sure you still are coming to the recital, Lucy has a solo dance part she has been working hard on.” Lucy smiles big at Roni and Roni just can't resist her. “I wouldn't miss it! I have coverage for the night just so I can make it.” Jacinda nods and smiles back at Lucy and Roni. 

“Great thank you, but we better get to ballet practice before we’re late and Victoria has my head for that too." She grabs Lucy's hand and leads her out as Lucy apologizes to her mom. 

With the sound of the bell dinging on their way out, Roni takes the photo back out for one last look before opening the bar. “Looking at that photo again are we?” Kelly asks in her British accent as she comes up from the back door of the bar behind Roni. Roni jumps with a hand to her chest “Kelly, you can’t do that! Yes I just can’t figure out who this woman is.” “Sorry to startle you” Kelly laughs. “Well staring at it all day won’t give you answers either.” she answers sarcastically. “Thank you captain obvious.” Roni snarks back. This banter is quite normal for the half sisters and somewhat comforting for them both. “Now I'm having dreams about her and it's driving me nuts.” Kelly laughs “Sounds like someone's got a crush.” “Shut the hell up, not those kind of dreams.” Kelly shrugs “You're the one who said she's the woman of your dreams.” she sighs over dramatically as Roni just ignores her and moves on. 

“Maybe I can ask detective Weaver to run some kind of trace or facial recognition or something that can lead to who this is.” Roni turned to Kelly “Or is that just crazy? I mean what if the photo is photo-shopped and this is some random woman and then I really look crazy?” Roni bends down to grab a bottle from under the counter as she finishes her sentence.

Just then the bell rings, Kelly looks up to find none other the woman in the picture and her jaw drops. “Well, I don’t think you’re crazy.”

“Hello.. I’m Princess Emma and I need your help.” At this point Roni was placing the bottle on the wall behind the bar so at hearing this she scoffs. “Yeah right and I’m the ‘Evil Queen.” with that she turns to find Princess Emma, piercing blue green eyes, beautiful blonde hair she is exposing as she lifts the hood off her head to reveal her jewel encrusted tiara.

“Well looks like you’re the Evil Queen.” Kelly laughs as Roni turns to see the princess and drops a glass, her mouth hanging open. "Shit." she hisses as she hits Kelly's arm and tries to grasp what the hell is happening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last time on Enchanted Emma and Roni meet for the "first" time...today it's the reaction to this. hope you enjoy. 
> 
> FYI anytime Roni calls Emma Princess its meant in a sarcastic tone. like a teasing name..example oh ok princess, whatever you say. Like I just want everyone to hear it when reading like I do lol. I hear it in a teasing tone like she will address her as princess but she doesn't believe her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful comments I cant always respond because I work two jobs and my life is hectic but I will always update on Tuesdays and if I know there will be a Tuesday that I cant then I will update that Monday. I won't leave ya'll hanging as I hate abandoned fics.

In a split second flashes of The Evil Queen laughing and striking her mother come across her mind and she sees the woman for who she was, who her mother warned her of and she is terrified. It's almost as if she is seeing her mothers memories and for the first time she realizes she was right, this is that woman...only slightly different. Wishing to be close to her was a bad idea, but she couldn’t have known it was her, not for sure anyway. 

The more answers she gets of this woman only lead to more questions and she is thoroughly confused.

“Oh gods, you are the Evil Queen! But how, you were banished?!” Princess Emma starts trying to find a place to hide when Roni laughs and it’s chilling but comforting at the same time. Emma doesn’t understand why but she is undeniably drawn to this woman. Everything in her is saying to run but her heart is saying to stay and that she is home here. She stops in her tracks and stares at her in shock when Roni starts ranting.

“Did Lucy put you up to this!? I mean I have to admit your costume is great…” she says as she circles around Emma, her eyes drinking her in, she is even more beautiful than the photo but she won't ever admit it. “But this is all just too much, she needs to stop with all this curse business. You can go back and tell her you did what she wanted and you're going home. You don’t have to continue helping her with this delusion.” she waves her hand in the air at the last part as she struts back behind the bar, swaying her hips and feeling green eyes follow her, she smirks. She turns facing Emma but with an uninterested look on her face and continues to clean up behind the bar. 

Princess Emma is now completely confused and it shows. “Who is Lucy? I don’t know what you are talking about. If you are not the ‘Evil Queen’ then who are you and what are you wearing!?” 

“Trust me ‘Princess’ I am not evil, sarcastic yes, a bitch... sometimes, but I certainly am no Queen.” Roni answers shaking her head. “Well that’s debatable.” Kelly says with smirk. “Shut up Kelly.” Roni walks around the bar and towards the princess. "As far as what I am wearing, I could say the same for you! How can you criticize me when you look like you stepped out of a Disney movie!" As she nears the princess she carefully reaches out for her as she looks genuinely scared but all this is ridiculous to Roni, she will be patient and kind to the stranger mainly because she needs to solve this mystery. “Ok ‘Princess’ if you are going to continue this charade then fine, I can’t stop you but you can take it somewhere else because I have a bar to run.” 

Princess Emma closes the distance between her and Roni and reaches out to her face. They lock eyes and Roni seems captivated like she can’t move. As the princess touches Roni’s face, she tilts her head to the side and looks like she is solving a puzzle. “It’s you.” she breathes. 

This all feels like a dream to Princess Emma after all dreams are the only place she has seen this woman, yet she is here, talking to her and she doesn’t sound very happy, which is the opposite of what Emma had hoped. Emma is worried but needs answers, needs to get home but also isn’t convinced this is real. “What kind of magic is this? Are you real?” Emma asks in a whisper as she strokes her fingers lightly down her cheek. Roni feels a tingle down her spine which causes her breath to hitch and her eyes to close for a moment before she snaps out of it and realizes the question. “Of course I’m real, what kind of question is that?” she answered with a raised eyebrow, even though she found it hard to believe this girl in front of her is real herself. “Look Princess, I don’t what kind of game this is but-” In that moment Emma cut her off. “This is no game Queen, I don’t know how this is possible but if you are real then some very strong magic was used because I have only seen you in my dreams.”

“Again I am no Queen and what do you mean you have seen me in your dreams?! What kind of sick joke are you playing here? You can get out of my bar.” Roni is steaming at this point. Why is Lucy going to these lengths to convince her of this curse? “As a matter of fact I will call Lucy and tell her she can come get you.” 

“Please don’t make me leave Queen-” Emma stops seeing Roni’s anger on her face. “Ok I’m sorry but I don’t know your name. What shall I call you if not Queen?” “Name’s Roni and this is my bar, for now anyway, and it’s time for me to open.” She says as she is flipping over the sign and turning on the neon signs the hang about the bar. “Roni, really?” Emma’s face scrunches. “No, I don’t think that’s it.” “What do you mean?” the brunette questions. “You just don’t look like a Roni is all. I mean I can tell you are not lying but the name just doesn’t suit you.” Roni just rolls her eyes and turns, who does this woman think she is?

Emma catches Roni by the wrist as she is turning around, peers deep into her eyes and says “I’m enchanted to meet you” She holds Roni’s eyes, her hand sliding down her wrist to hold the side of Roni’s hand and curtsies “Non-Queen Roni of this bar.” Emma smirks at Roni. Roni feels flush all of a sudden, her heart beats fast and she wants to stay close to Emma which is all the more confusing since she is bat shit crazy. Roni smirks back at Emma with softer eyes this time. “Likewise, ‘Princess’.” “Emma, you can just call me Emma.” she answers as she releases Roni’s hand. “Alright, Em-ma.” the brunette drags out her name and nods. Emma feels her insides go weak just hearing her say her name and again it feels familiar. Roni heads back behind the bar where Kelly still stands watching all this unfold. She could have left by now but this has been like reality TV unfolding in front of her and who is going to turn away from that? 

She picks up her cell phone and calls Lucy. “Lucy I have your friend ‘Princess Emma’ here and you can come get her or tell her she is free to leave now. “ --On the other line Lucy has no idea what Roni is referring to. “What do you mean you don’t know her, little miss you need to get back down here after ballet and bring your mother. This has to stop.” she hangs up looking at Emma, “Feel free to sit down and wait, I will get to the bottom of this.” 

Emma sits at a nearby table and sulks, she knows she needs Roni’s help but she is careful not to push her. She decides she will wait for this Lucy person that Roni seems so adamant about. She tugs on her sleeve nervously as she looks around the bar, it's exactly like her dream, there are tables and the counter with bottles behind the bar and also strange machines she has never seen before. Roni watches her with narrowed eyes and a curiosity that feels like it may kill her. She does not have time for this but she can't help but stare because she too has had dreams of this blonde and now she's here but she's a nut job, great so what now?

Behind the bar Kelly whispers to Roni “Why haven’t you asked her about the photo? Don’t you want to know who she really is now that she is here?” Roni whispers back “Obviously she is helping Lucy so there is no point in asking, it’s probably something they made together in their attempt to get me to believe in this curse business.” She waves her hand and leans on the bar. “Roni , she even has the same name as in the book. I mean yeah it could have been what Lucy told her to say but why would an adult and complete stranger agree to go along with Lucy on this? I mean she looks like she really believes what she is saying.” Kelly looks at Princess Emma with pity and back to Roni. “All I’m saying is it can’t hurt to ask. Maybe she hasn’t seen the photo, maybe she has. Maybe if you show her or ask it will snap her out of this. Who knows?” 

“Yeah I don’t know, we’ll see.” Roni answers as she continues to stare, her chin resting on her hand, elbow on the bar as her other hand taps to the music playing and she wishes for once she can meet and be attracted to a normal person. Seems like she attracts crazy as her last boyfriend thought he was a voodoo prince so she dropped him like a hot potato. She sighs and goes back to wiping down tables to pass time until Lucy gets here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up Next the group learns how Emma got to their town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading this! Let me know what you think. This story is complete BUT if you have any suggestions I am open to editing OR even making a One shot after this :)

The bell rings again and a frantic Lucy rushes in with Jacinda trailing behind. “Roni, what’s going on? Lucy said someone was here for us or something? I don’t understand. “ 

“Emma here says she is a Princess, she has mentioned the ‘Evil Queen’ looking like me and magic, I know Lucy is all about this curse business but..” She shakes her head and twirls the toothpick in her mouth with her tongue before she takes it out. “This has got to stop, now she has others wrapped up in it. I was hoping as her mother you could help her understand this is just a book that Henry wrote it’s not real life.” Jacinda turns to look between Lucy and to Emma, back to Lucy. “Lucy…” she says sternly. 

“But I didn’t do anything I promise! I don’t know who she is…” Lucy trails off as she squints at Emma. “Wait! She’s the woman in the picture with Roni!” Emma’s eyes go wide. “Picture? What Picture? “ Roni sighs and hands her the picture. “Told you.” Kelly says. 

“What kind of sorcery is this?! This isn’t possible. This painting looks so real but I’ve only seen you in my dreams and this, this is my son! I for damn sure have never had my son around you especially not at this age.” Emma turns to Roni with angry eyes “I demand an answer, this is exactly something the ‘Evil Queen’ would do to trick me. What have you done with my family?!! Take me home now!” If looks could kill Roni is convinced she would definitely be dead in that moment, and for some reason that hurt her heart more than anything. Even though she was still standing it felt like she was crumbling, instead of questioning everything that was just said like she logically should she feels an undeniable need to defend herself as if she is terrified of losing her. But how is she losing her when she doesn’t know her? She has no idea she just reacts frantically reaching for Emma’s hand. 

“Emma, I promise I haven’t done anything.” She pleads to Emma with her eyes, grabs Emma’s hand and says “I will help you get home if that’s what you want, where do live?” The princess looks at their hands clasped together and feels whole, she closes her eyes a moment and sighs. “I believe you.” Her eyes soften as she looks to Roni. “Well, I’m the princess of the White Kingdom in the Enchanted Forest, I live in the castle of course.” “Well of course why didn’t I think of that?" Roni rolls her eyes. "Look Emma I want to help you but I can’t unless you tell me the truth. Look around you this isn’t a fairytale. This is Hyperion Heights, there is no forests or magic, just regular people, living and working.”

At this point with Emma calmed down Lucy decides to interject. “She has to be part of the curse too, don’t you see. She said Henry is her son, that picture shows you both, and the adoption paperwork I found shows you adopted him Roni, only your name was Regina.-” “Wait! Did you say Regina?” Emma interrupts. Lucy nods her head “You gotta believe me.” Jacinda grabs Lucy’s shoulders and turns her to face her. “Lucy where is this coming from? How did you make all of this? These documents, the photo. This isn’t right, you are wasting their time here.”

“But I didn’t make any of it, I found it. I promise, it’s just like in the book. Except this Emma here is different, this is probably her curse identity. You’ll see true love’s kiss will break the curse and everything will make sense.” 

Jacinda and Roni opened their mouth to object but Emma beat them to it. “Miss Lucy, I know the name Regina and I believe you. I would like to hear more of this curse you speak of.” She eyes the room and holds her hand up regally to stop anyone from trying to object again. “We should let you speak as a curse would explain how I got here. My parents, the kingdom and my son are probably very worried. I just disappeared from my birthday party. I need to get back before they declare a war based on speculation or worse." 

Lucy furrows her brow and looks at Emma, as Kelly, Roni and Jacinda sit at the table deciding this may take a while. “First thank you Princess. “ Lucy bows to her. “Second we need to start from the beginning. I don’t know all the details but I think my step grandma Victoria cast a curse that trapped us all here and I just know if my mom and my dad..well Henry kiss, it will break the curse. You must be Henry’s birth mother and Roni is his adoptive mother. In real life.” Lucy takes a breath before continuing. “Now...What were you doing that led up to you being here?” “Well I was at my party and my mother insisted I make a wish, which I thought was juvenile but she wouldn’t give up. Tradition and all she said, so I made a wish and ended up here when I opened my eyes.” 

“Tell me, what did you wish for when you blew out the candles?” Roni asks, speaking for the first time in a while, her eyes soft, curious and genuine. 

Emma’s face blushes at the thought and shies her face away before answering. “Before I answer I should explain, I have been having dreams of this place, this town and you. In these dreams I am some kind of Savior. I know this sounds silly or crazy even.” She shakes her head and looks at Roni. “But in these dreams I feel a connection to you, I know we have never met but in these dreams I am meant to save you, I feel like I know you, like we belong together in some way. In my Kingdom I am lonely, I have my parents and Henry but I feel incomplete, like something is missing. So for my wish, I thought of my dream and how I felt whole with you and I wished to not be alone, to be complete, made whole and I saw your face in my mind as I blew out the candle. Then I was here when I opened my eyes.” By the end of Emma’s explanation Roni’s face was red too and Kelly looked like her eyes would fall out of her head at this admission from Emma. 

“Ookay..” Lucy drags out as now everything is a bit awkward. “So a wish brought you here, sounds like maybe you were meant to help us break the curse. You said you were the Savior in your dreams right?” Emma nods. “Ok so hear me out” Lucy pulls the book from her backpack and it shows a picture of Storybrooke Emma Swan, the Savior who broke the original curse with True Love’s kiss shared with her son that brought him out of a coma. “Here, See? It’s just like the original story...well sort of..but Emma’s always been the Savior.” Princess Emma studies the drawing of this other Emma that looks so much like her but yet different. “Hey that’s my sword, well Henry’s sword now but it appeared to me under my bed after one of my dreams. And that’s the same red leather jacket as the other picture” Emma looks at Lucy and back to Roni. “I think Miss Lucy here is right. You may not know of magic here but someone does and something very powerful is keeping us all in the dark.”

“We need to figure out what my grandma is up to and why she sent us here. Maybe I can talk to her tonight, I mean not flat out ask but think of some questions that might hint to what is going on or point us in the right direction.” Lucy says matter of factly. "Wait Princess... you said you know the name Regina. What do you know?" Emma takes a deep breath. "Honestly I don't know anything except the name. I found an old drawing of a young woman who looked a lot like Roni here just younger and the drawing said Regina on it, but that was it." 

“Ok Lucy, I don’t believe any of this but I will do some of my own research and let you know what I find out. In the meantime someone should get Emma here some less suspicious clothes and take her to a hotel or something.” Roni looks to Jacinda for some back up here but before she can speak Lucy exclaims “You can’t send her to a Hotel she isn’t from here, what if she gets lost or worse, I mean look at her, it’s not like she has any I.D or wallet, I doubt she even has money on her since she wasn’t planning on leaving her home. Plus her money wouldn’t work here anyway, even if she had it. The Enchanted Forest money is completely different.”

“Fine then she can go home with you and Jacinda-” Emma cuts Roni off and begs. “Please, don’t make me leave, why can’t I stay here...with you?” Roni swallows thickly as it feels her throat may close at the desperation in Emma’s voice. “You want to stay with me?” She looks at Emma with a tilted head and Emma nods. “Even though I remind you of your ‘Evil Queen’?” 

Even though Emma knows Roni is being a bit sarcastic she can sense the honestly and insecurity in her voice, almost as if questioning anyone wanting to spend time with her. “Yes, honestly I don’t feel comfortable with anyone else.” Emma glances around the table and quickly retorts “Not to mean that the wrong way, I appreciate the help. I just, I can’t leave Roni.” With a small look of shock and a slight nod Roni agrees. “Alright then. You can stay with me but we have got to get you changed. You look like you're going to a ComicCon.” Roni laughs at Emma’s confused glare. “I will explain it all to you if I must, not to worry I may have something that will fit you, we aren’t much different in size from what I can tell.” 

“Roni, I'll talk to Henry and see what he can find out from Ivy , but first we really have to go. Victoria as you know has threatened to take Lucy from me so I can't be late to visit her again.” “Thank you Jacinda, I’m sorry your step mother is putting you through all this, it’s despicable that she would try to take Lucy from you.” Jacinda shrugs as she answers "Hey at least she hasn't succeeded yet." Roni looks at Jacinda with sad eyes before getting up and saying goodbye to her and Lucy both. 

Emma stays with Roni at the bar while Kelly leaves to meet with her daughter Margot. Once Roni closes up the bar she takes Emma up to her apartment with her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little more of our girls and some ground work to the plot coming at u.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope i captured the sense of humor and flirting i feel like Roni would have with Emma, especially as a princess lol. Next chapter coming is my favorite maybe because its about food lol

  
  


Once Roni finds pants long enough for Emma and one of her band tanks, she hands her a plain black leather jacket “It’s no red leather jacket but it’s what I got.” She smirks at Emma and shrugs as she tosses her the jacket. “I think it will do the job, it’s not like I am familiar with these clothes anyway but thank you.” Emma slips the jacket on and it’s a perfect fit. Emma misses her dress immediately and feels out of place but oddly comfortable at the same time. She wants to fit in, in this new world as long as she is here so she will do whatever she needs to. Roni locks her tiara away for her, for safe keeping and convinces Emma it is for the best as they settle on the couch and talk. 

After a long conversation about how this world works, answering all of Emma’s questions and explaining everything from a TV, microwave, pool tables to what a camera is and how it makes the pictures that she was convinced was sorcery on Roni's part, Emma moves to more personal questions, dying to know more about her new friend.   

“So Roni, tell me about your relationship with Henry. Lucy said you adopted him right?” Emma asks still not clear on everything. Roni shakes her head. “No, I have no children, Henry is an author who came to town chasing Lucy because she stole his laptop. She is convinced Henry is her father and I am Henry’s mother and we are in some kind of crazy curse. She thinks once Jacinda and Henry share true love’s kiss it will break the curse. I know you may believe her or whatever...I’m not sure but we are almost the same age, there is no way he could be my son.”  Emma sees a longing in Roni’s eyes, a loneliness she is all too familiar with. “I’m sorry Roni, this must be a lot to be dealing with. And I am sure my arrival does not help. I know this doesn’t seem real but here I am and there is so much that only adds up when comparing it to a curse.” Roni holds back an eye roll at the mention of the curse, Emma can sense the tension and continues. “Whatever the cause may be, I appreciate you allowing me to stay with you.”

“Well ‘Princess’, I couldn’t very well have you running around lost and confused now can I? “ Roni lets out a small laugh. “Besides what kind of a dream come true would I be to refuse to help you?” The smile on Emma’s face is so big she can’t hide it even when turning her face away. “Yes well I suppose we both have a lot to live up to, me being your ‘Savior’ and all, my Queen.” Emma half smiles shyly at Roni. “  _ My Savior _ huh?  _ Your Queen? _ ”  Roni raises an eyebrow.  Emma shrugs “Yeah I figure if my dream led me here then at some point I am meant to save you in some way and you may not be evil but you certainly are a Queen in my book and maybe even in another life, after all you are treating me very royally and I owe you my fealty since you are going through so much to help me.”  Roni smiles, not sure how else to respond. She has never met anyone like Emma before and while she still thinks she’s lost a few marbles, she is very charming and Roni can’t resist the pull towards her. 

 

“So Emma, is there a  _ Mr. Savior _ or  _ Prince  _ waiting for you back home?”   _ Please don’t be in love with someone else-wait why do I care  _ she blinks her thoughts away and holds her grin. The flirty grin on Roni’s face creates a warmth and nervousness in Emma and she is all too eager to reply. “Oh no, nothing like that.”  Green eyes bore into brown as Roni says “Good.” 

 

**

Meanwhile Jacinda talks with Henry about what happened at Roni’s Bar today. “So she just appeared?” Henry asks. “Like fully clothed in a princess costume?” “I don’t know how she got there, she was there with Roni when we got there but yeah her outfit was very royal looking but not like the normal generic Comic Con look, like it looked like real fur on that thing. And the tiara, I mean it looked real Henry. I don’t know what to think anymore.”  Henry shakes his head. “I don’t know what to tell you Jacinda, I mean it does seem really weird but this curse business Lucy keeps talking about can’t be real. Maybe this girl is disturbed or something.”

 

Jacinda shifts on the couch to bring her leg under her and turn to face Henry. They lock eyes as she brings the coffee cup up to take a sip and smiles into the edge of the cup. For a brief moment Henry questions his whole life and maybe this curse is real because he feels an unreal connection to her, he smiles back and takes a sip of his own cup. Jacinda breaks the silence first. “Henry...I know what Lucy says sounds crazy but she also has this picture and I am starting to think maybe there is something to what she is saying. Maybe not magic but this woman has to be something to you.” Jacinda takes out the picture and the book (because of course Lucy made a copy of the photo.) she opens the book to the page of the Savior and places the picture next to it. She looks at Henry, his brow furrows and his eyes widen. “That's me as a kid! Where did you get this?” “Lucy found this picture with some adoption papers with your name on them. This is Roni and this woman is the same as the one in your book and the woman, the ‘Princess’, Emma she looks exactly like her minus the jacket. I think you and Roni owe it to yourselves to look further into this. There may not be any magic but I think something in your pasts are connected somehow. How else can you explain all this?”  “I don’t know Jacinda. I don’t know.” 

 

“Well Lucy seems to think Victoria has something to do with all this, I know Ivy trusts you and as much as I hate to ask can you speak to her and see if she will tell you more of Victoria’s plans? I know she has been secretive but Ivy is sure to know more than she lets on. Maybe she will say something we can use to prove to Lucy all this is not true. You know they are trying to take Lucy from me so she won’t tell me anything. And I am doing all I can to keep Lucy but if she keeps running off and talking about magic Victoria may take her for real.” Jacinda fights back tears, Henry places his hand over hers and dips his head to capture her eyes. “Hey...it’s ok she won’t get Lucy, we find something and get through this together.”  Jacinda smiles at Henry as he squeezes her hand in reassurance. “Thank you Henry.” “You’re welcome, I will see what I can find and try to talk to Lucy. I can at least ask her to quiet down about magic and stop running off. Hopefully that will help.”

 

The next day Henry finds Lucy after school in the community garden which is basically a bunch of patches of dirt and a dried up well that Victoria plans on leveling to make more shops. “I thought I might find you here.” He stands, hands in his pockets with a half smile. “ Yeah I've been planting seeds. I came to see if anything has grown yet. I wanted to show everyone there is hope to go back home.” Henry sighs and kneels down to her level. “ Lucy, my book is just a book, a story. I made it up, that's what fairy tales are. Even if you don't believe that can you do me a favor?” She nods enthusiastically. “ Your mom is trying real hard to keep you with her. You want to stay with her right?” “Of course I do.” “Ok so you need to stop talking about magic and the curse and stop running off or else your grandma isn't going to let you stay with your mom.” Lucy huffs “ But it is real and we're your family!” “Lucy I had a family and they died! This may be hard for you to understand but I'm still trying to help you. I'm not saying to forget about fairy tales or happy endings but at least keep talk of it away from Ivy and Victoria. Please.” She nods with a sad smile “Ok” Henry gives her a hug. “ I like it here kid, I like you and your mom. I'm willing to stick around but I need u to meet me halfway here deal?” Lucy smiles bigger now and nods, she holds her hand out to shake his. “Deal.” 

 

***

Ivy has been asking Henry to meet for coffee for a while, Henry knows her end game is to move in on him which is why he keeps making excuses but today he accepts in order to get some information that may be usable. All Henry wants is to help Jacinda, he can’t bare to see them torn apart. Especially over a book, he feels at fault for writing the book that Lucy keeps protesting is real and giving fuel to Victoria to take her from Jacinda. 

 

Henry gets to the coffee shop a little early with his laptop, doing a little research about the properties that Victoria is buying hoping for any information that will help. 

 

“Henry! Thank you for meeting with me, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.” Ivy gives a small smile and tilt of her head as she slides into the seat across from Henry. “No of course not. I have just been working on my second book, deadlines you know.” He shakes his head. “Hence the laptop. Sorry this is kind of a working coffee but I had to try to get something down.” Ivy swats her hand gently “Oh no worries, I understand all about deadlines from working for my mother. So how is it coming? What is the new book about?”  “Well I haven’t gotten far mainly brainstorming for now, I’m thinking of making a sequel to the first book, something like maybe a new curse or new villain. Maybe a new love story. I am still working on options. What about you, how is working for Victoria going?” Ivy frowns. “Oh you know mother can be quite the slave driver. Most days I feel like an errand girl for her though. Getting coffee, herbs, flowers, lunch. Handling all the meetings when she doesn’t show up, doing the paperwork. It’s tedious work really but nothing I haven’t done before.” 

 

“Why would she miss any meetings?” This sounds promising, why would Victoria be missing any meetings when she is hell bent on making so many changes? “Honestly I am not sure. She has been acting kinda strange lately and its put a lot of pressure on me but I am hoping to run my own company soon so this is good experience for me.” Henry takes a sip of his coffee and says. “Well I think it’s great that you want to run your own business, it’s kind of sucky she puts so much pressure on you though.” Ivy takes a generous sip of her coffee and leans back. “Yes well, it’s fine. Enough about me. How is everything going with Jacinda? You two seem to be getting close.” Henry almost spits his coffee out a little off guard with the question. “Yeah we are good… friends. I have been helping her and Sabine with the food truck you know, get it up and running.” Ivy leans back in “Oh right the food truck how is that going?”

 

“Well you know if your mom would stop trying to sabotage it we would be making a lot more progress. What is Victoria’s deal with Jacinda anyway?”  Ivy clears her throat and furrows her brows. “Well I don’t know I guess she’s bitter because Jacinda’s father died and left her a widow with an extra child to care for. She’s never been the warmest mother even to me so, I guess maybe that’s just her.” Henry nods. “Hmm well I can understand it must have been hard to be a single mother but why does she want Lucy? I mean isn’t it a little extreme to try to take a child from her mother? It just doesn’t make sense.” 

 

“My mother just wants Lucy to be well taken care of and Jacinda obviously can’t handle Lucy if she keeps running off and having delusions. It’s not healthy for Lucy and mother just wants to help.” Henry scoffs and raises an eyebrow looking very Roni like and says “Come on Lucy’s just a kid, it’s normal to have dreams, even fantasies of fairy tales, she will grow out of it. Jacinda isn’t doing anything wrong. She is working hard,fighting for Lucy and taking care of her. You’re her sister can’t you help her?”  Ivy leans an elbow on the table and rolls her eyes. “Step sister. I guess for you I can talk to mother.” Henry smiles. “Thank you.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite chapters. We explore Emma and her love of food a bit and Emma gives Roni their version of a "Hope"speech so to speak and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Early Valentines lovelies!!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone reading! I do appreciate you guys sticking with the story. I promise it will be worth it. If any of you follow me on Twitter I would appreciate ya re-tweeting my post about the update.

Cheeseburgers, Emma has decided are the best food ever made other than bear claws and Roni’s apple pie. “I see you have a sweet tooth, you gotta try my famous apple pie, old family recipe.” Roni had suggested one night. Emma scarfed two pieces down and slept like a baby with a full stomach. Emma is happy to stay in this land if she gets to keep eating like this however she needs to find some form of exercise unless she wants to end up as big as a house the way she is devouring all the new foods Roni is feeding her. Emma moans as she takes another bite of her cheeseburger and Roni can’t help but be frustratingly aroused. She shifts her weight to one side and crosses her legs. “You know Emma, if you keep moaning like that people will think we are up to something more than eating diner.” Roni smirks at Emma with a wink and Emma blushes “Sorry.” Emma says with a mouthful and a sheepish grin. “It’s just so good. We don’t have anything like this in my land.” “Well you can have as many as you want here or we can try other things but I need to meet with Victoria soon to sign over the bar. She should be by within the hour to pick up the paperwork. I was supposed to have it ready already but things have been hectic with you showing up.” She laughs at that last bit. 

Emma tilts her head with a frown, puts down her burger and says “Why would you sign over your bar to the bully who is trying to take Lucy from your friend?” Roni sighs “I don’t want to but Victoria has offered a lot of money and she is buying up all the properties to make condos...um...like lots of houses so to speak. The bar is all I have but it hasn’t been doing very well and I don’t have a choice.” Emma shakes her head almost violently and passionately “You always have a choice Roni, if this is truly all that you have and you love it, you should keep it. Do not let someone run you out of your home. I don’t stand for bullies. You tell her you won’t sign.” Roni snorts back “Well what’s it to you? I don’t like it but the bar won’t make it much longer without more business. I will at least get enough money this way to get a place and maybe start another business somewhere else. I don’t know.” She shrugs and looks away from Emma. 

“Roni, I am just saying you shouldn’t do something this big because you feel you have to. You should only do it if you want to. Clearly you don’t want to. You look so sad every time you speak about it and it hurts you. So don’t do it.” Roni smiles at Emma and shakes her head. “You are something special, you know that? I can’t quite figure you out ‘Princess’ but..ugh… as much as it pains me to say I think you’re right.” “I am?” Emma beams, mouth still full. “Yes you are. I would never have given up before. I don’t know what I was thinking, before you got here I had given up but I’ll fight back.” “Yes and I will fight with you.” Roni tilts her head “You will?” “Yes I will. We will get through this, we will find a way to get the bar to make more money for you, together.” Emma answers as she reaches for Roni’s hand and squeezes. Roni nods and squeezes back “Together.” They both smile. 

Roni calls Victoria right away, Victoria barely says hello before Roni starts in. “Change of plans Belfrey. You don’t need to come by. I’m not signing the bar over to you. I’m keeping it.” “You’re What?!” “I'm keeping the bar, seeing you acting like you own the place and ordering Jacinda around didn't sit well with me. I realized if I sign this you will own the bar and that I really don't like. This is my bar, it's my home, it's my life. Sure it's seen better days but haven't we all? Just because life isn't what we want it to be now doesn't mean we tear it down, doesn't mean we won't see better days again. You're a bully and don't deserve to have my bar so I'm keeping it.” Roni promptly hangs up. “Well we have a long road ahead of us, because now she is pissed.” Roni can’t help but laugh. “Now Emma tell me how would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted? ” she asks in a lower sultry tone raising an eyebrow and all Emma can do is nod her head and swallow hard because anything Roni says like that makes her feel like she is going to come undone on the spot. 

Victoria has been running Ivy ragged. Not only saddling her with the phones, meetings, running errands but also now babysitting Lucy who is not an easy child to deal with. Ivy’s feet hurt from running around town trying to find Lucy on her most recent attempt to flee her grandmother. Ivy has never been great with kids but this is making her never want any of her own at all. “There you are.” Ivy looks down angrily at Lucy. “I should have known you would be rolling in the dirt in “your garden”. Lucy you know your grandmother is having this area demolished. You can’t be here.” Lucy looks down ashamed. “I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t have ran off but I thought that if maybe I planted more flowers it would help give the neighborhood hope but they're not growing.” With a sigh Ivy gives up. “I know Lucy I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. I know you just want to help, I just don’t want you to be disappointed. You know once she has made her mind up it doesn’t change.” “I know. I won’t run off again. I’m sorry for making trouble.” “It’s ok Lucy, let’s go back to the office and on the way we can get ice cream, then I can finish my work and we can go to dinner with your grandma.” Lucy smiles. “Ok!” she says with a jump. 

Back at the office Ivy has been trying to reach Victoria almost all day, the phones have been ringing off the hook all day. There are documents for Victoria to sign and people demanding her attention but Ivy can’t find her so making up excuses is getting unbearable. Ivy is fed up at this point and at a breaking point. The decisions that need to be made are not anything Ivy can do alone without the backlash she will likely get from her mother. 

“Aunt Ivy? When is dinner? I’m hungry.” Lucy pats her stomach and looks at Ivy with puppy dog eyes. “I know Lucy me too. I’m sorry I’m waiting to hear back from mother.” “Where is she?” Ivy shakes her head “I don’t-” Just then Victoria comes storming through the door at this late hour as if it was normal. Her face clearly angry, her hands clutching bags. Ivy’s face turns quick to her mother. “Mother, where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you all day!” Victoria turns to Ivy, an eyebrow raised and sharply says “Who is the boss here? Hmm” she cocks her head “Oh that’s right, I am! You don’t question me, if you can’t do your job without a babysitter then maybe I should get someone else.” Ivy slams her hand on the desk “I am able to do this job but there are decisions YOU have to make and meetings you have missed. I can run things without you but I can’t sign your paperwork or meet with your bankers. And I am running out of excuses for you.”

Victoria scoffs, takes a deep breath in, looks Ivy in the eye and says “I do not answer to you. I will deal with everyone else on my time. This project is mine, this business is mine and you only do as I say. But if you must know Roni has now refused to sign over her bar and I am putting out fires dealing with it. Now I have something to finish and then we can go home for dinner.” She doesn’t give Ivy a chance to reply she only storms off to the elevator. Ivy follows her mother with narrowed eyes and watches her get in the elevator. She lets out an exasperated sigh, leans her head into her hands, elbows on the desk, gathers her thoughts and says “Well Lucy it shouldn’t be much longer.” 

Ivy doesn’t trust her mother, this interaction was not normal. Her mother has been acting strange, she is a creature of order and habit and doesn’t disappear during important times. She has no proof but she knows something is up more than what she is letting on. This can’t just be about the bar. She wouldn’t have needed to be away or unreachable just for a confrontation with Roni. No something is off and Ivy decides she will get to the bottom of it. In the meantime she will do her job, keep her head down and run things if she has to, as long as Victoria doesn’t suspect anything. Ivy is finished with her emails, closes her laptop, puts it in her laptop bag and joins Lucy on the couch in the office. A few minutes later Victoria emerges without anything but her purse. “Everyone ready for dinner?” Ivy nods. Lucy says “We’ve been ready! I’m starved.” Ivy giggles a little and puts her arm around Lucy to guide her out. 

Back at Victoria’s they have a simple baked chicken with vegetables for dinner, Ivy and Victoria have wine while Lucy has her grape juice. They make small talk about Lucy’s day, she leaves out the running off after a sharp look from Ivy. To be honest Lucy doesn’t want anyone in trouble especially herself or her mom so she is just fine not saying anything. After some tense silence Ivy speaks up “So mother how was your day? You must have been very busy or in a no service area since no one could reach you. Is everything alright?” Victoria’s shoulders stiffen, her lips tighten as she chews. “Everything is fine, if there was a problem I need help with I would tell you.” Ivy nods and hums “Hmm but there is a problem...you just don’t need my help, right?” Victoria closes her eyes in frustration. “Well yes, the Roni situation is going to slow things down a bit. Now that she refuses to sign over that dreadful bar I have to find a way to work around it. Which I can, it just won’t be exactly what I envisioned, but it will be fine.” she says as she waves her fork.   
“Of course mother, everything will work out. I can talk to Roni if you want and see if I can figure out what happened or convince her otherwise.” Victoria purses her lips “If you wish but you don’t have to.” “I want to help mother it’s fine.” 

Victoria raises her eyebrow and replies "fine." Ivy nods her head in agreement, silently plotting a way to figure out what her mother is hiding.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma misses "home"as she knows it and is trying to find a way back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys this is probably the shortest chapter BUT things are about to get interesting just stay with me. i promise. 
> 
> Next chapter Roni makes somewhat of a confession to Kelly and someone is awoken from the curse and the plot thickens so stay tuned.

It’s been a few days already since Emma came to this new land and she is getting anxious. She loves her new friends and wants to help but she really needs a way to get home or at least check on her family somehow. Roni is in the kitchen cooking breakfast, Emma watches her from the kitchen table. “You’re staring again.” Roni smirks. “If you’re not careful I might start to think you have a crush on me.” Emma looks away, turns ten shades of red and stammers “Well… I...um no...I just-” Roni laughs “Relax Emma I’m just teasing you.” Emma looks up at Roni and half smiles “Oh.” “I’m sorry, I know you aren’t used to my sense of humor yet. I will try to ease up. You just make it so easy.” Roni laughs and it’s beautiful, and Emma could listen to her laugh forever. “So gonna tell me what you were thinking about?” Roni asks as she sets a plate of bacon, eggs and toast in front of Emma. Emma takes a sip of the coffee Roni made her and frowns. “I miss my son, I love it here with you.” She smirks and tips her head to the right “But I am worried. I have no idea what is going on in my world with me gone. What if they are looking for me? What if something happened to my son? How do I get home?” Roni frowns, she hasn’t given it much thought, she has enjoyed having Emma around and honestly didn’t believe her story but now looking at her she sees genuine concern behind blue-green eyes. Roni takes a deep breath, puts her fork down and looks at Emma. She wants to help Emma, she knows she needs her family and she wants to tell her it will all be okay but what comes out instead is “You want to leave?” This response startles Emma as much as Roni and they both go wide eyed. Roni tries to recover but Emma beats her to it. “I don’t want to leave, especially I don’t want to leave you and I know there’s things I promised to help with here BUT I can’t help but worry about my family. The same way you worry about Lucy even though she’s not family you take care of her and if anything happened to her you would protect her. Imagine if one day she disappeared and no one could find her. How would you feel? What would you do?” This question really hits home for Roni, she would do anything for Lucy and Jacinda even if it didn’t make sense. Even if it seemed ridiculous she would do it if it meant finding Lucy, in this moment she knows she has to do everything she can to help Emma even if she doesn’t want her to go, she knows Emma has a point. 

“You’re right Emma, I would go to the ends of the earth to find Lucy even if it didn’t make sense to me. I know I also made you a promise to help you so I will honor that.” Emma’s face lights up and Roni swears looking at this woman will never get old. “You will?” Emma asks as a tear slips down her cheek. Roni takes the empty plates to the sink, she comes back to Emma and kneels in front of her. Roni lifts her hand to Emma’s cheek, she wipes her tears with her thumb as their eyes meet Roni smiles softly. “I would do anything for you.” Emma leans into Roni’s touch and places her hand on top of Roni’s on her cheek. She closes her eyes as she breathes deep in and out. “Thank you.” Her eyes open, meet Roni’s and they just stare a moment in a comfortable silence almost communicating just with their eyes. Roni’s statement is loaded, it’s genuine, it means more than she’s saying and they both know it. All Emma wants in this moment is to be closer to Roni, she wants to lean in and kiss her but if she does all it will do is hurt them both when she leaves and she can’t bear it so she slowly pulls back from Roni and smiles. Emma clears her throat and asks “So how are we going to do this?” Roni stands and shakes her head. “I honestly don’t know Emma. But we can figure it out I’m sure. What else can you tell me that might help?” Roni puts her hand up “Better yet, what would you do in your land if the situation were reversed? Who would you go to for help?” 

Emma thinks a moment and stands quickly when she thinks of something. “I would find a wizard! Or a witch, definitely someone with magic or a magic bean to portal jump.” Roni chuckles a little and says “Yeah okay, well we don’t have any of that. I mean magic isn’t real, not here anyway.” 

“We should talk to Lucy, maybe she will know who in this land to go to.” Roni quirks an eyebrow “Lucy?” Emma smiles “Yea Lucy has the book right? If everyone here is supposed to be from the book she will know who we should go to for help.” Roni points a finger up at Emma “ That is true and a good start at least.” 

Roni texts Lucy who explains everyone's identities based on the book. None of which is helpful because the Wicked Witch is supposed to be her sister who laughed in her face when she and Emma came to her. She is supposed to have magic and doesn't so all that's left is Weaver who is supposed to be Rumplestiltskin. 

So Emma sets out to find Weaver while Roni is tending the bar. She is convinced he is her only hope. If he is as powerful as the book suggests he can send her back with no problem. So she is back in her princess dress, robe, tiara and all, ready to be back home. She's discussed in length with Lucy and Roni that if he really is the Dark One and can send her back, of course he will have a way to bring here back here once she is sure her kingdom is safe and nothing has happened. Emma promises Roni she will find a way back, that they can stay friends even in different realms but they both know its a long shot and Roni isn't holding her breath on any of this working. 

“Who are you? What is your name?” Emma asks Weaver. “I'm detective Weaver miss, how can I help you?” She sighs. “I'm looking for someone with magic, I'm told your true identity has magic.” He laughs “I see you've been talking to our young Lucy, sorry to burst your bubble dearie but magic isn't real and I'm not her great grandpa and so on. I mean do I look that old to you?” She shakes her head. “No but curses do all kinds of things and I just need to get home to my realm.” he sighs “ I really am sorry miss, but I can't help you, the book is not real.” And so she leaves deflated, leaving Weaver to his thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little of Roni and Kelly, more info about the investigation and someone wakes up from the curse...who will it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't thank you all enough for following this story. Anyone who wants to chat about it can either message me on Twitter (same user id as here) or comment below. I'd love to hear thoughts so far. A twist is coming soon so buckle up lol.

The bar is packed tonight and it’s all because of Emma’s idea to have Sabine and Jacinda’s food truck on the side of the bar. Emma has been addicted to the pastries since the first bite and while it was mid bite that she made the suggestion to sell them at the bar, it was a good one. Henry helped Roni create a new website for the bar, Lucy made flyers to advertise the food truck and a few new themed nights like karaoke. With the food truck outside people can drink and eat and both the bar and Jacinda win. This helps Jacinda keep a steady income to prove she can take care of Lucy, it gets Sabine money towards a building for a possible future restaurant and Roni the business she needs to not sell the bar. Even Kelly is impressed and celebrating with them. 

“Very brave of you to stand up to Victoria sis, what changed your mind?” the redhead asks from behind the bar as she is pouring another drink for a patron. “It was Emma actually.” Kelly wipes the bar down as she turns to Roni “Really? Smart and Sexy, how about that.” Roni slaps Kelly’s arm but still blushes “She is smart though, it was her idea for all of this. She said if I love it I should fight for it and she would help and she did.” “So any news on the who she really is?” Roni shrugs with a sigh “Honestly I think she is telling the truth as crazy as it sounds or at least she believes it’s the truth.” Kelly scoffs and Roni continues “Seriously you should have seen her reaction to the toilet, I swear I wish I had recorded it.” They laugh a bit “I have to admit I thought it was all an act and I found saving her from the toilet monster endearing but I can tell she really believes it. I had to teach her about phones, microwaves, the oven, don’t get me started on the toaster she completely destroyed mine when the toast popped out. Called it a devil bread machine and took a knife to it. I barely saved her from electrocuting herself.” Roni looks at Kelly seriously “Kelly, I know it sounds crazy but no one could have faked all that. I can tell genuine reaction when I see it. So I haven’t pushed her on it but she has begged me to help her return home and I said I would but I have no idea how.” Kelly moves her hand to hover over Roni’s “How on earth are you supposed to help her get to a fairytale?” Roni sighs “I don’t know, she is hell bent on finding a wizard. I can’t bare to break her heart by telling her it’s not possible.” 

“Oh my God, you love her.” Roni rolls her eyes “I barely know her.” Kelly wide eyed open mouth stands back “But you’re falling for her. You aren’t even denying it. Just because you haven’t known her long doesn’t mean you can’t fall for her.Love at first sight and all that jazz.” Kelly looks to the distance at Emma laughing and handing out cards for the food truck to customers “I can’t blame you though, look at her she is quite charming.” Roni’s eyes follow Emma’s fluid movements through the bar, she may be in jeans and a leather jacket but she still moves like a royal and it is absolutely stunning. As if she can feel her stare Emma turns and meets her eyes, smiles and nods and Roni smiles and nods back. “I’m so screwed.” she says as she turns to Kelly with a hand running through her hair. 

Just as Kelly is about to answer, Detective Weaver and Detective Jones comes through the door. “Gentlemen, what can I getcha’?” Roni asks as she holds up a glass of rum “Let me guess a rum for you boys.” Weaver shakes his head “I’m afraid we’re here on official business.” He pushes a photo of a woman with long wavy strawberry blonde hair. “Have either of you seen this woman?” They study the photo and shake their heads “No I’m sorry we haven’t, is she missing?” Roni asks. “Yes I’m afraid she is, along with a few others.” Jones answers. “There’s others missing? Should we be worried?” Kelly asks. Weaver shakes his head. “Not yet, so far all we know is 3 women are missing. We can’t discuss too much about the case but any information you may have would be helpful. If you see anyone shifty or this woman let us know.” Roni and Kelly nod “Feel free to ask around the bar, it’s pretty packed tonight so maybe someone has seen her.” Jones waves his hand up “Thank you.” They proceed to ask around before they leave. 

“Well that’s not unsettling at all.”Roni says as she turns to Kelly. “I know, it makes me want to call Margot and make sure she’s ok. I mean it’s only women that are missing so I can only imagine what they are doing with them.” Kelly shudders and leaves to warn Margot. Suddenly Roni understands Kelly and just wants Emma close. “Hey Emma” she waves her hand motioning Emma to the bar. 

“You summoned.” Emma smirks. Roni laughs “Yeah I uh wanted to talk to you. Did you see those men that came in?” Emma nods “Yes they were asking some people if they had seen some woman.” “Yes they were, those men are detectives...sort of like knights here and there are some women missing which can mean they ran away or it can mean they have been kidnapped or worse. Things like this don’t normally happen here and with you not being familiar with everything here I just want to make sure you are careful and stay close to me.” Emma looks a bit worried. “Yes of course, anything you need.” Roni smiles “I’m not worried about me, I’m worried about you. Just be careful and if you notice any odd behavior with any of the customers let me know.” “As you wish.” Emma smiles and nods as Roni smirks and shakes her head, as much as Emma looks like she fits in, she still has a certain quality to her that Roni can't quite shake. It's endearing, charming and infuriating all at once but she wouldn't change Emma for the world. 

Back at the station Jones and Weaver are going over the evidence for their case. “Jones, do you really think that old notebook will help us find them?” Jones shakes his head “I don’t know mate, I’m just hoping there will be something here to point us in the right direction. Here there are missing pages...maybe that is a clue, if we can find the missing pages.” Weaver cuts in “Or it’s a dead end waste of time. People are dying, we need a real lead” Jones sighs “The mark on all their wrists is drawn in this book cover and this book is Eloise’s so if we can find her, we can get one step closer to the killer or to at least figuring out what is going on.” 

Weaver sighs “Alright, you go talk to anyone who knew her, see if you can find the missing pages and I will ask Tilly and see if she has seen anything that may help.”   
Weaver has been at this a long time and Jones has just been assigned to him. They are not exactly best friends but they work well together, Jones is smart and notices things that no one else does and Weaver, well he is a know it all, headstrong and resourceful. 

They split up, Weaver talks to Tilly (the neighborhood nomad who goes everywhere and sees everyone) and still gets no where so he decides he needs help from outside the box. So Weaver heads back to the bar.

“Detective, has there been a break in the case?” Roni asks hopeful. “No, I’m afraid not but I came to talk to your sister Kelly.” Roni takes the bottles from Kelly as she sits at a table across from Weaver “I’m flattered detective but I’m engaged.” she says as she holds up her hand and wiggles her fingers to show her ring. Weaver laughs “It’s not like that, just one casual drink with me, I am off duty and it’s been a long day.” Kelly can tell there is more to his request so she pours them each a drink. As she is putting the bottle back behind the bar he pours a blue liquid in her glass. He turns back to his glass and takes a sip. Kelly sits down “So hit a snag in the case?” she asks as she takes a gulp of her drink. “You can say that.” he answers and waits. 

Just before she has a chance to say anything else her eyes go wide and blue flashes in them. While Weaver watches, Kelly sees everything flash in her mind. She sees her childhood, the land of Oz, herself as a green witch, fighting The Evil Queen, fighting Emma and Regina. She sees Robin Hood, the underworld, her daughter growing up, and friends, a family she found in Regina. The flash in her eyes stops and she blinks. “Rumple? What the bloody hell-” “Shh, Zelena, no one else knows. You have to continue to call me Weaver but I need help...from a witch.” She shrugs “But I have no magic here.” “That you know of. Look none of us have magic per se but there is still a little magic here. I need you to help me break the curse.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Rumple and Zelena banter today, Zelena gets Lucy's help with a new "Operation". And more questions like....What is Victoria up to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks so much for following the story still. The way I wrote this is like a re write of the season so I imagine each chapter like an episode which is why its so long but I hope you all are enjoying it.

Zelena laughs “Sorry to break it to you Rumple but I am not your True Love so I can’t break the curse with you.” Rumple/Weaver shakes his head “Don’t flatter yourself dearie, I need a powerful witch to help me bring magic here similar to how we did in Storybrooke at the well.” “Well why wake me up and not Regina?” “Your magic was always stronger than Regina’s because your anger was more. You doubt yourself but you can do this. Besides Regina has a much bigger fate at hand.” “And what do you mean by that? What about Emma?” “I know you have many questions and all will be answered in time. Regina and Emma can take care of themselves and right now they are safer in the dark. Plus Regina’s magic is stronger with Emma and I can’t wake up everyone. I need you to help me find a witch. One of the women missing is a powerful witch and I think she can help us.” 

Rumple passes a photo of a wrist with a symbol on it to Zelena. “The other 2 women missing...they are actually dead and they were found with this symbol. Do you know it?” Zelena studies the symbol “No I don’t believe I have seen it but it is definitely a coven symbol but it looks like a mixture of symbols maybe a self made cult.” She says as she looks back up to Rumple, who nods and takes back the photo. “That’s what I thought. If that is true then we need to find this woman soon, she might be next on the list. Now that I have woken you, do you recognize her from any land?” He passes the photo of Eloise back to Zelena. “She looks familiar but I have not ever seen her that I am aware. Now that I am awake I can get Lucy to work with me on finding out who she is or where she is.” “Ok but remember no one can know. Not Regina, not Emma, not Henry or even Robyn. By the way how is Emma even here?” Zelena shakes her head “None of us are sure exactly what happened all Emma can say is she made a wish on her birthday and it brought her here.” Rumple holds his chin between his thumb and taps his forefinger to his mouth. “Hmmm.” He watches Roni and Emma interacting across the bar. Roni playfully slaps Emma’s forearm and Emma snaps her with the bar towel. They are laughing and smiling in a way no one has ever seen them. Rumple sees the glint in their eyes, the brush of Roni’s fingertips on Emma’s arm, the smile on Emma’s face and her wide eyes at whatever Roni is saying. 

He snickers to himself and looks at Zelena with a raised eyebrow and waves his hand. “Don’t tell me..-” Zelena smiles and laughs “They’re in love.” “Well that’s rich, The Evil Queen and The Savior falling in love.” He shakes his head. “Rumple...what will happen to them when we break the curse? I’ve never seen either of them so happy and it’s all because they don’t know who they are. What if they don’t come back from this when they realize who they are?” “If it’s True Love you have nothing to worry about.” Zelena sighs and whispers “And if it’s not?” Rumple raises his eyebrows “Well I don’t know about you but I don’t want to find out. Regina may not be the Evil Queen anymore but if another love is taken from her she might never come back from it this time.”   
As Rumple gets up to leave Zelena catches his wrist. “Wait a tick, how are you awake?” He laughs “ Oh Zelena, I'm always awake.”   
**

“So you’re saying you believe me now?” Lucy asks with a hint of sarcasm not believing that now someone actually believes her. “Yes Lucy, I’m your eh Great Aunt Zelena, the Wicked Witch from your book and I am now awake and I know about the curse and I know Emma shouldn't be here. I don't know the details but Rumple seemed confused as to how she got here.” Lucy’s face lights up “You do remember!” “Shhh, we can’t tell anyone ok? They can go on believing that this is a fantasy of yours but you and I need to get your parents to kiss and break the curse. There’s a new villain out there killing witches and we need to stop them but in order to do that we need to break the curse to bring back magic.” “Operation True Love is a go.” Lucy smiles and high fives Zelena. “Also Lucy is this woman anywhere in your book?” Lucy takes out her book and flips through. She shakes her head “No.” “Ok well off you go. Don’t forget you still have to call me Kelly.” “Got it!” Lucy yells a quick “Bye Roni” and waves as she rushes out the bar to make a plan to get her parents to kiss. 

Lucy knew that Henry writes during the day and works for Lyft at night, providing rides from the bar. Weekends are his busiest which are days her mother is busiest with the food truck anyway so her plan is for a Tuesday night dinner at the local diner. She texts Henry to meet her there and then she convinces her mom they should have a night out at the diner together. With step one of the mission accomplished she is now back on her way for her weekly visit with Victoria.

“Hi Aunt Ivy. Is Grandma in?” Ivy looks up from her desk to the waiting area and smiles “Hey Lucy! Yes she is in her office. I will let her know you’re here.” Ivy picks up the phone receiver and pushes the intercom to her mother’s office “Mother, Lucy is here.” She turns back to Lucy “She’ll be right out.” “Cool, I’m starving.” Ivy laughs with a snort “When are you not?” she says playfully.  
After a few minutes Victoria emerges from her office “I am almost done Lucy just a few more minutes.” she says with a tight smile as she heads to the elevator. Ivy watches with narrowed eyes. There is no reason for her to be going to the elevator again. Ivy has seen her mother use the elevator more and more each week this month and there’s never any reason for it. Her office should have everything she needs and she has no meetings today so there’s just no explanation Ivy can come up with. Ivy has been following her for days and come up empty handed, so to speak. All she found was a few strange symbols but she assumes these are drafts for the new icons she needs for her complex’s name but tonight everything will change. Tonight Victoria will be out with Lucy so she will come back to the office and do more searching. 

“Ivy, please do lock up and let me know when you’re done. I am taking Lucy out to dinner just the two of us and I will see you tomorrow.” Ivy nods “No problem, have a good dinner. Bye Lucy.”she waves to Lucy as they head out the door, Lucy skipping and Victoria scolding her to be careful and walk like a lady.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little more about the investigation and some Henry and Ivy. this is not edited as I am in between jobs right now ( i work two jobs so i am about to go to the next job) and dont have much time so I hope its ok and doesnt have many mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday everyone...this is an early chapter as tomorrow is my birthday and I will not be home so hope you enjoy.

Ivy continues to work on a contract agreement draft for the new shopping center Victoria is building, after all she does have actual work to do other than stalking her mother. She finishes up the draft, places all the documents in a folder in the filing cabinet, she tidies up her desk and gathers her things just as her phone rings, she clicks the speaker phone option to answer. “Henry, hey. Whats up?” “Hey Ivy are you busy? “ She’s at the door at this point, purse on one arm and phone in her bra so she can lock the door. “I’m just locking up the office actually so I’m about to be free, why?” “Well I just got done helping Jacinda with my shift on the food truck and thought you might want to grab dinner.” “Sure, we can try the Italian place that just opened up. I will meet you there in a few minutes. I’m getting in the car now.” 

Ivy pulls up to the restaurant and sees Henry standing outside with his big grin and she smiles. “Hey Henry, been waiting long?” She asks as she walks up to him and clicks the remote to lock the car. “Not at all. How was your day?” They walk into the restaurant. “It’s been ok, everything at work is super busy, my mother is quite the slave driver.” Henry laughs as they are seated. “Yeah I bet it’s been rough since Roni kept the bar.” Ivy sighs “Yes but Roni’s can stay there, we made new plans to work around her building and honestly since she has been bringing in so much business it might be a good thing for us as well.” Henry’s eyebrows shoot up “Oh well that’s great!” The waiter comes and they place their orders, Ivy sips her water “Yes it really is, so how are things with Jacinda?” Henry chokes on his water a bit. “Things are good you know, I’ve been helping with the food truck and Lucy. Lucy wants to have dinner with me Tuesday actually. I just wish I knew how Jacinda really felt. She stays so guarded no matter what I do to help or prove she can trust me.” “Well at least you are getting time with her, just give her some time. She likes you, she will come around.” 

The food comes “Thank you.” they tell the waiter as they start eating. “So is your mom all freaked out like Roni is about these recent missing women in town?” Henry asks Ivy changing the subject from Jacinda. “Missing women? What do you mean?” He shrugs “Oh you haven’t heard? The police came by the bar asking around about some missing women, they came to the food truck too. It seems one woman in particular they think has something to do with it so they are looking for her as well.” Ivy swallows her bite. “That’s awful. What do they think she is doing with them?” He shrugs again. “I don’t know, maybe helping people kidnap them or something. They won’t say much but Roni and I spoke about it briefly she has been a little worried because she has some friend staying with her and well...two single women alone can be kind of a target.” Ivy takes another drink to wash down her bite “I can imagine. What friend does she have staying with her?” She takes another bite and looks up to Henry expectantly. He swallows his bite. “Some woman named Emma I think, I haven’t met her, Roni says she is from out of town.” She nods “I didn’t know she knew anyone outside of town.” He shakes his head “Me either but I’m sure she had a life before she moved here.” 

“True. Thanks for inviting me out.” Ivy says as she wipes her mouth with her napkin. “Yeah I know it’s been a while since we hung out and I’m glad you were free.” Henry smiles and Ivy smiles back “It’s nice to have a friend, I never really had much of a life outside of work before, it feels good to have someone to talk to especially with my mother acting so weird sometimes and working me so hard.” Henry furrows his brows “What do you mean acting weird? Is she ok?” “Yeah she’s fine, I think. She just keeps using the elevator at times she has no need for it, when there’s no meetings and no need for the offices the elevator leads to. And I found some weird symbols, I’m sure she is using it as some new icon for the advertising but something doesn’t sit right with me about it.” “What kind of symbol is it?” Ivy takes out her phone and shows Henry “I took a picture just in case.” “Ivy this looks like some kind of pagan or cult symbol.” She puts her phone away. “I know but I can’t imagine my mom being involved in anything like that.” “Still you should be careful.” Ivy nods “I will. I was going to go back to the office tonight since she is out with Lucy and look around more. I thought I could search her office again but without interruption this time.” Henry grabs his coat. “I’ll go with you.” They pay the check and head back to Ivy’s office.

Ivy unlocks the door as they both look around to make sure no one sees them going back inside. She could always tell her mother she forgot something, she would just rather not get caught in the middle of snooping. She sends Lucy a quick text to make sure they are still occupied and is relieved with her reply. They head into the office and leave the lights off just in case. Once they get to Victoria’s office Ivy flicks the lights on since there are no windows in that office, no threat to being caught. Henry goes through Victoria’s desk while Ivy searches the filing cabinet. Henry spots the papers with the symbols. “Ivy is this what you showed me?” “Yes” she nods while thumbing through more folders. “These pages look like they come from a book, did you find a book at all?” “No, all I saw were those, at first they just looked like doodles all over the pages but they seem to evenly spaced to not be on purpose and none of them look like any kind of symbol she would brand a company with.” “I think if we could find the book these pages came out of we would have more information. It must be old, they look discolored and worn.” 

“There’s nothing in here” she sighs as she flops into the chair deflated. “What about the other offices?” Ivy shakes her head “No, we only have a few other employees, none of her stuff would be in those offices as they are assigned to the chief of design, head of finances and roles like that. That will all be their belongings. And the meeting rooms are always empty because they’re used when there is a staff meeting, meeting with bankers or other companies. I think we should call it a night. I can do some more spying on my own but it’s getting late and mother expects me to check in.” Henry nods “ Alright, well if you need me let me know.” Ivy smiles “ I will.” She locks up and drives Henry back to his car. “ Hey Henry...ask Jacinda out already.” she calls to him from the driver seat as he exits the car. He laughs and shakes his head. “ Alright, alright.” 

Ivy shoots her mom a quick text that everything is wrapped up for the night and locked up, that she already had dinner with Henry and she is heading home, that way she doesn’t get suspicious of the time it took for her to check in. 

Henry heads over to the bar to see Roni before turning in for the night. The bell dings as he enters, Roni’s head shoots up and she smiles. “ Henry, what are you doing here so late?”   
“Well hello to you to.” He laughs “I know you’re closing up, I just came by on my way home from dinner with Ivy.” Roni’s smile falls and she looks more serious “Dinner with Ivy? Like a date?” Henry laughs “No, no date, just friends, she actually told me to hurry up and ask Jacinda out.”He laughs before continuing “I ended up helping her look around Victoria’s office, she thinks she is up to something but we didn’t find anything except these weird symbols.” Roni lets out a deep breath “Good, Jacinda likes you ya know.” she then squints her brows in the middle of her nose and asks “ What weird symbols? Why is she snooping on Victoria? I mean the woman is always up to something business wise but what has Ivy roping you in?” 

“ Well she said Victoria had been acting suspicious, I had asked her to find out anything she could to help Lucy for us to ‘prove there is no curse’ but it seems she actually found something that was unsettling.” He took out his phone and showed her pictures of the pages he had found.   
“ That looks like what Weaver showed me!” Kelly calls from behind Henry as he almost falls out his chair with a jump. “Jesus woman, a little warning next time?” Kelly laughs and Roni says “ yeah she’s good at sneaking up on people.” “ Sorry.” Kelly shrugs “ Anyway yeah Weaver was in here asking about that woman again when he wanted to talk to me and showed me a picture. One of the women has this symbol right here tattooed on their wrist.” Roni turns to Kelly “ When did he show you that? He only showed us the woman they were searching for.” Kelly holds her hands up “ Now don’t freak out but the two women missing are actually dead and they had that tattoo. He didn’t want to scare you and your little girlfriend but yeah that’s the symbol, you need to tell him about this Henry this is serious Victoria could be connected to the serial killer.” Roni looks a mixture of shocked and angry “First Emma is not my girlfriend, second are you serious they’re dead and you’re just now telling me?!” Kelly steps back “In my defense I’m not even supposed to know that much about the case as a civilian and I’m only telling you now because Henry just found evidence.” 

“Ok guys let’s focus, if this symbol is connected to these murders and Victoria has a connection, Kelly is right she could be dangerous. Roni you need to somehow get Jacinda to keep Lucy from her and tomorrow I will go to the station and talk to Weaver.” Roni runs a hand through her hair and lets out a deep breath “ I will try but Henry, she has a court order for visitation so Jacinda can’t hide her from Victoria.” “ I know but just keep an eye out for her while I go to the station, I know she will be in school but I just worry you know.” Roni smiles lightly and places a hand on his “I know.” Roni steps back and finishes cleaning the glasses. “ I gotta lock up Henry, but keep me posted ok?” He nods “I will. Oh and uh- when am I going to meet this mystery girl of yours?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. Roni just laughs and shakes her head “She’s just a friend and soon. She’s already upstairs for the night but you can meet her soon.” With that statement he nods and waves “ Ok then. Have a good night guys.” “You too.” They call back to him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roni has a nightmare...or is it a memory? A little bonding with the princess and bartender...and maybe a small glimpse into the past that led them here. enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for coming on this journey. I know there hasn't been much of Emma and Roni together because I had to lay the ground work for the plot but here is a chapter all about them.

It’s dark and Roni is in the middle of a street she doesn’t recognize with strangers who seem familiar all yelling things and running. It’s chaos and panic, she wants to help but doesn’t know how. A few are hiding but there are three that stand out. One is a boy and he is yelling “Mom! look out behind you!” She wants to run to the boy, and protect him in response but is frozen. She feels danger all around, she is scared for her son...no the boy, she is scared for the boy. She turns her head to the left to follow his line of sight and sees a hooded figure and Emma. Emma in jeans, a tank top and a ponytail with a sword in front of her, protecting her it seems. The hooded figure has a sword as well, she can’t see their face but they move swiftly and as Emma turns with the sword up in defense to face the figure when the boy called out, the figure stabs her with the sword. “No Emma! No!” Roni screams. She’s crying, tears stream down her face and the figure is gone and Emma is bleeding in the street. She runs to Emma and crouches down, she pushes on the wound. “Stay with me Emma” Emma’s eyes flutter she reaches up to Roni’s face “Regina.”she whispers “I-Reg-” but she doesn’t finish. “No Emma!”she pats her face “come back, wake up.” but it’s too late, she’s gone and Roni’s left screaming a blood curdling, heartbreaking scream.

“Roni, I’m here. Shh, I’m here.” Emma whispers as she gently wipes the sweat from Roni’s face and tucks some hair behind her ear. “It was just a dream, I’m here.” Roni’s eyes flutter, she is shaking, a tear streams down her face. “Emma.” she whispers unbelieving. “I’m here Roni.” Emma says as she wipes the tear with her thumb. Roni sits up a little and Emma’s hand slides from her face down her arm, to her waist and rests there. “I was... dreaming?”she asks still groggy. “Yes, you were screaming my name in your sleep, I heard from the couch and ran in here to find you tossing about and screaming more. What happened? It was quite concerning.” 

Roni wipes her face, her first thought is that she could think of better reasons to be screaming Emma's name but now isn't a time for jokes. “Yeah well it was a horrible nightmare, it felt so real. It was very strange though, we were in the middle of a street and a hooded figure and you were sword fighting but it was different. You looked like you but different, like the Emma from the book, you were confident, determined and warrior like.” She looks to Emma who is kneeling by the bed with her hand still on Roni’s side and a concerned, puzzled look. “Like it looked like you were fighting to protect me, or us, there were other people but I only remember the boy from the picture that you said was Henry and you.” Roni pauses and takes a deep breath “Emma the hooded figure stabbed you, I saw you die.” She closes her eyes as more tears stream at the thought. Emma lunges forward, runs her arms around Roni “Hey, it’s ok. I didn’t die. It’s ok.” She rubs circles on Roni’s back absent mindedly while absorbing everything in. Roni latches onto Emma and clutches her t-shirt. They stay that way a few moments before Roni moves back. “I’m sorry, Emma.” she takes a deep breath and lets out a small bitter laugh “It was just a nightmare, I’m fine though. I hate that I woke you up, I feel silly.” Emma steps back and sits on the bed, her hand rests on Roni’s leg. “It’s ok, it’s not silly at all. I would have been just as freaked out.”

“It just felt so real. I know we haven’t known each other long but just thinking of losing you I-” She doesn’t finish she can’t she just holds Emma’s gaze. “I know Roni me too.” Roni clears her throat. “Ok well I should let you get back to sleep.” Emma pats Roni’s hand and says “As you wish.” as she stands. “I’m just in the other room if you need me though.” “I know, thank you.”  
Emma goes back to the couch and lays down but she can’t sleep. She can’t help but wonder if Roni’s dreams have anything to do with the ones she has had, if maybe it’s a past life or a future they will have. Roni seems so shaken, it’s concerning for Emma. Emma gets up and walks back to Roni’s doorway, she leans on the doorframe and watches Roni lay there with her eyes closed. She looks so peaceful, Emma is happy she was able to get back to sleep only- “Can’t sleep?” Roni asks without opening an eye. “How did you-” Roni smiles with an eyebrow raised “I know everything ‘Princess’.” Emma laughs. “Apparently you can’t sleep either huh?” Roni shakes her head, opens her eyes and pats the bed next to her. “Come sit.” 

Emma settles down next to Roni and sighs “Roni…” she shoots a quick shy glance. “Hmm?” “Do you… do you think maybe our dreams are past lives?” When Roni doesn’t reply right away Emma continues “It’s just that my dreams felt so real before I met you and your dream tonight was real for you and I can’t help but think maybe they’re memories. I mean I felt like I knew you before I even got here and even now it feels like we have known each other much longer than a few weeks.” Roni sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “I don’t know. Maybe... I have a confession.” She looks to the blonde and back to the wall. “This wasn’t the first dream about you I have had.” Her head turns to Roni “Oh?” The brunette looks to Emma and rolls her eyes at having to admit this. “Yeah, yeah I had dreams of you before you came here. I didn’t say anything because it seemed crazy and you were here in the flesh and Lucy was so determined this curse stuff was real and I don’t know what to think anymore.” Roni covers her face with her hands and grunts. Emma puts a hand on her shoulder “It’s ok. After spending time here I understand it more, the disbelief, I mean there’s no magic here that I have seen and everything that looks close to my life is in books shoved in a corner of the fantasy section. So I get it. I showed up here and shook everything up by just telling the truth.” There’s a moment of silence between them. Roni doesn’t know how to respond because Emma is right, it’s like she shifted the balance of everything Roni knew to be real when she showed up.

“I’m not getting home... am I?” Her sad eyes find Roni’s and she frowns “I’m sorry Emma, I don’t think so.” Emma sighs and fidgets with her hands fighting back tears. “It’s not your fault, it’s mine and my stupid wish and now I will never see my family again.” She covers her face with her hands and this time it’s Roni who runs a hand over Emma’s back. “It’s ok to cry Emma. I just wish I could do something. I promised I would help you and I failed.” Emma turns to Roni with wet red eyes “I just don’t know what to do. I miss my son.” Roni opens her arms and Emma leans into the embrace. She cries on Roni’s shoulder “I never even got to say goodbye. He’s going to think I abandoned him, they all will.” Roni leans her head on top of Emma’s, places a soft kiss into her hair then leans her cheek on Emma’s head and rubs her back. “I’m sure they are just as worried about you, you said you made a wish and appeared here which means you disappeared before their eyes so they must know you didn’t abandon them.” 

Roni is rocking Emma soothingly almost like a mother rocks a child when they’re hurting or scared. It feels like second nature to Roni to care for someone like this. Not Emma specifically but someone, she knows they both need sleep and Emma has finally stopped crying so she starts to lean Emma towards the bed. “Lay down, it’s ok.” she whispers into blonde hair. They lay back on the bed Emma’s face tucked into Roni’s neck, Roni’s arms still around Emma. “Thank you.” Emma sighs into Roni, her breath against her neck makes Roni shiver and close her eyes. She runs one hand through Emma’s hair “I could say the same to you Emma.” Emma tightens her hold on Roni and they are so close they can feel each others chest move with each breath. Any other time Roni would definitely be making a move, they’re so close it hurts but she doesn’t want to jeopardize what she has with Emma while she is vulnerable. Now is not the time, they have both been through a lot tonight emotionally and she doesn’t even know how Emma feels about her. Roni hears Emma’s breathing slow down and even out so she allows herself to drift off to sleep as well. 

They both sleep through the rest of the night and into the next day, no more nightmares and no tears, just peaceful sleep until- a sharp gasp and a deep “mmmm” moan is heard and Roni starts to breathe heavy at the sound. She shifts to move and another groan is heard and then a heavy pressure is felt in between her legs and she loses it. Her eyes fly open and she realizes her and Emma’s legs are tangled together, her thigh in Emma’s groin and Emma’s knee in hers and she is mortified,aroused and wet. She slowly tries to untangle herself without waking Emma but Emma has a death grip on her so she slowly moves her leg down away from Emma, gently pushing Emma’s leg down. Emma starts to stir but she moves closer, squeezing her arms around Roni, nuzzling her head into her neck. 

Roni smiles, this side of Emma is endearing, much like all sides of Emma, Roni notices as she tightens her arms around Emma in response. Oh she is so screwed. This isn’t her, she isn’t this sappy, gushing, smiling girl. She is a badass bartender who needs no one. She is an independent woman who takes care of herself, she doesn’t cry over nightmares or dream of fairy tales. She doesn't pine for doe eyed blonde princesses. She takes what she wants and uses her sexuality to get it. She doesn't wait to make her move or get nervous when close to a pretty girl. Nope nope nope. 

She needs no one… No one... except Emma. She sighs into blonde hair splayed out, Emma’s head still tucked into her neck. She feels at peace, safe, comfortable and that is what is so scary.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little sisterly bonding/confessions and we learn a tad bit more about Emma and what happened that took Emma to the wish realm..the twist begins. enjoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tuesday all! I hope you guys enjoy the update. This chapter is where we learn more and the plot thickens. comment on twitter or here and let me know what u think. I am happy to discuss the fic or update on twitter with anyone who wants. Oh if anyone wants to do cover art for this fic that would be awesome

“Kelly we need to talk.” Roni says with shifty eyes looking around as she grabs Kelly by the arm and drags her behind the bar. “Correct me if I’m wrong but we’re already talking.” she says with a smirk. “Shut up you know what I mean.” Roni growls back. “Sure sis, what’s wrong? You seem... agitated.” She sighs, her sister is so infuriating. “I am. Kind of. Listen I had a dream last night that Emma was sword fighting some guy in a hooded cloak and a kid was there yelling... mom at her. This kid! And she was dressed like this Emma.” She points to the photo of her, Emma and Henry as Emma had said. “Only in the dream, Kelly...she called me Regina.” Kelly’s eyebrows shoot up. “Regina huh?” “Yes, but Kelly like this felt so real, like a memory. And the kid he felt like family, and the hooded figure stabbed her and she died and I was screaming as if my heart broke as if I knew her better than I know myself but I only just met her recently. It felt so real that I woke Emma up with my screaming and she came to check on me. I was so shaken I told her about it…” Kelly stepped forward. “That’s heavy sis...what did she say? Did you tell her about being called Regina?” Roni shook her head. “Of course not. I did tell her everything else though, she was so sweet Kelly. She was so concerned and neither of us could sleep after so she stayed in my room and we talked. I finally told her I can’t help her get home. She was devastated. I comforted her basically until she cried herself to sleep. Needless to say it was a long night.” 

“Hold the fuck up, you slept with her?” Kelly squealed mouth open wide moving in a smile. “No I didn’t sleep with her..I mean I slept with her but I didn’t sleeep with her.” Roni said in an angry whisper “Would you keep your voice down she could come downstairs at any minute.” Kelly waved her hand “Fine, fine, your no fun. Let me get this straight though, you slept in the same bed but no sex?” Roni nods. “Whew you’re more gone than I thought.” Kelly laughs. “It’s not funny! She was crying about losing her family and she had just been there for me during my melt down after the dream so I just held her until we fell asleep.” “Aww how cute is this. Roni and Emma sitting in a tree.” Kelly sways as she sings teasing her. Roni smacks her arm “You’re impossible.” “But you love me.” Roni smiles and shakes her head “Yes I do. But about the Regina thing….I’m starting to think maybe Lucy is right. I mean not about a curse but maybe I do know Emma like from another life or something. She brought it up last night and I kind of dismissed it but she might be right. But that wouldn’t explain Henry. Lucy said Henry’s adoptive mother was named Regina when she gave me the picture. I just...I don’t know what to think anymore.” Kelly sighs “Roni you’ve been stressed. It was just a dream. You spent forever obsessing over that photo and then the mystery woman appears, don’t you think the dream is just your mind trying to make sense of things?” Roni wipes down the bar “Maybe but it just felt so real.” 

“Dreams usually do feel real, I mean your asleep so you don’t know its not actually happening until you wake up. Don’t sweat it sis, everything will calm down soon I’m sure.” She steps forward and hugs Roni “I mean look what you guys did with this bar!” She waves her hand around the bar and twirls. “I don’t know what happens with you two behind closed doors.” She winks at Roni “but you work well together, you turned this bar around and helped Jacinda and Sabine. Maybe she can find a place here with you.” Kelly shrugs “Or maybe Jacinda and Henry will kiss and break the curse.” Roni laughs with a snort “You’re not helping.” 

Little does Roni know that Kelly or Zelena is not actually joking. She means to break this curse so she can stop pretending because this is becoming exhausting. And she has a fiance to get back to, what is she supposed to say to him? She can’t marry him now, he isn’t one of them and will never understand. She can’t be with him no matter how much she loves him and that makes this all that much harder. But now she needs to talk to Rumple about Roni’s dream because without breaking the curse it seems who she really is, is breaking through and she doesn’t know what that means. 

“What do you mean she... remembers?” Rumple asks from across his desk at the station. “Well not so much remembers but she has been having these dreams of Emma as the Savior defending the town and her as Regina and Emma getting stabbed. Rumple is that a memory or just a dream?” Zelena asks. She came to the station to talk to him after her conversation with Roni. She has no one else to talk to that may have answers and Rumple always has answers whether he gives them or not. Rumple lets out a sigh. “It’s a memory. Emma was killed and Regina made a wish that she had never become the Savior, that sent her to the wish realm but saved her life. Regina was working on a way to bring her back without consequences before the curse was cast. But now that Emma is here..” He shakes his head “It upsets the balance. I did some research after what you told me about Emma’s wish. Only True Love’s magic can cross realms and even then it’s unheard of. I can only assume that because Emma is made of True Love’s magic which makes her most powerful, if her and Regina are True Love’s themselves that’s the only way Emma could have crossed realms with just a wish. If they were thinking of each other, the mix of both their magic when she made the wish is the only way I can think of that it would have brought her here.” Kelly sits back in her chair “Wow. Well that’s a good thing right? I mean if they’re true loves which it sounds like they are then we could all be saved right?” 

Rumple tilts his head and lifts his right hand twisting it. “Well yes and no. They could be the ones to break the curse and save us but since Emma shouldn’t be here if they do break the curse she may die again or it won’t break the curse and something catastrophic will happen. I don’t know because I didn’t make this curse but Emma was not written into this curse which is dangerous for her to be here but I don’t have a way to send her back. ” Zelena stands and throws her hands up “Well that’s bloody fantastic!” She paces “What do we do? Regina is so in love with her if they kiss which they are very close to doing by the way...but if they do and they break the curse and Emma dies again Regina will lose her bloody mind! She will be evil queen times ten..we can’t let that happen.” She lets out a deep sigh “Rumple I’ve never seen Regina love anyone like this...and if she has already lost her once...if she wished for Emma to never be the Savior that means she already was in love with her and fooled us all. Hell this all means Emma was already in love with Regina as well. Regina won’t recover from a fourth love dying, she lost Daniel, Robin and Emma once...she knows the price of magic and used it on Emma anyway. That means she loves her more than we thought which means she won’t come back from it this time.” 

“I know. I will do what I can to find out more but there’s not much we can do to stop them. True Love will find a way no matter what.” “Clearly.” Zelena remarks snidely. 

“Oh and about your witch, Lucy’s book doesn’t have her in it. So I have no idea how to find her but Victoria might. Did Henry talk to you about what him and Ivy found?” Rumple nods “Yes he did and until he has more I can’t get a warrant so Ivy is going to go over the surveillance footage and get back to me. But if we can find the witch maybe she can help us get Emma back to the wish realm or maybe she will have more information on what will happen if she stays.” Zelena looks relieved “Ok I will do what I can to help find her. She’s basically our last hope. Thanks. I will keep you posted on Emma and Regina or Roni if you rather.” He nods “Thanks Zelena, always a pleasure.” 

***

It’s Tuesday night and Henry is waiting for Lucy at the diner in their usual booth, playing a game on his phone while he waits. The bell above the door to the diner dings and Henry pops his head up to find not Lucy but Jacinda...alone. She smiles and waves walking over to him. “Jacinda, hi. Where’s Lucy?” He asks confused. “I could ask you the same thing.” She says matter of factly.  
“I see, it appears she ‘parent trapped’ us into a date.” Henry laughs before continuing. “Well we might as well take advantage while we’re here and eat dinner.” She shrugs “It wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.” She smirks back at him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy investigates some more...what is Victoria up to? and a little more Emma and Roni.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post, it's been a migraine day. But I hope you all enjoy. Next week more developments :)

It’s midday Wednesday and Victoria is out at the construction site for one of the buildings. She likes to supervise in person on big projects. Especially when the citizens have been protesting with signs and tying themselves to trees causing them to stop the construction for a while. It’s frustrating and a waste of her time but she wants to make sure everything goes smoothly from now on so she is here scaring people off, threatening to call the police and yelling at the workers to keep going. Today Victoria means business and she is putting her foot down and getting shit done. 

Ivy takes this opportunity to scan through the security tapes and try to figure out what her mom is up to. She starts with last month just to make sure not to miss anything. Maybe this way she can find when exactly all this started. If she can pin point it and tie it to the missing women then she will have solid evidence. For the most part it is very tedious and fruitless. She’s looked through a week’s worth of tapes and nothing but boring meetings and her mother yelling at her. She’s bored and it’s been hours. She pours herself another coffee, sweetens it with some creamer and forces her tired eyes back to the screen. She’s just about to give up when she sees it.

Victoria taking the elevator..okay normal...then the elevator stops in between floors. Victoria pushes a button and the on the back of the elevator she flattens her hand and pushes and holy shit a door is opening. A secret door in the fucking elevator. Ivy gasps “I fucking knew it. What the hell are you hiding mother?” She knew she was up to something and this proves it. Now she has to figure out what. That won’t be easy. Victoria has been having late nights at the office and Ivy doesn’t want anyone else following her in case her mother is hiding something dangerous. If she leaves now to investigate it will draw attention to the others in the building so she will have to come back after they close up. Ivy shoots a quick text to Henry: I found something on the security tapes but I can’t ‘investigate’ further until after closing up tonight. 

Ivy starts back on her work when her phone pings Henry : Okay great I can come with if needed just let me know what time and I can meet you. Ivy shoots back a reply Your help would be great just in case, I don’t know what she is hiding, um I’d say 10 pm. Oh and Henry, bring Roni just in case we need backup or another witness. Henry: Okay I’m on my way to get her. 

Henry was on the couch with Jacinda talking about how their impromptu date went. It was actually quite nice and conversation is so easy with her. Henry finds himself smiling like a fool at everything she says and Jacinda is giggling like a teenager at his jokes. It’s fun, easy, comfortable and feels like they have known each other forever. Even though the dinner at the diner was Lucy’s doing and not planned it still was great. They got to talk more and bond a little and it even ended with a small kiss which led to drinks at Jacinda’s tonight on the couch while Lucy was put to bed by the both of them as if they were really a family. Lucy had smiled big at them both, in love with the idea. Jacinda on the other hand has her concerns but Lucy is happy and Henry is amazing and why ruin a good night. So instead they enjoy a movie playing in the background while they talk and have a drink. 

Henry’s phone pings “It’s Ivy...she says she found something on the security tapes. Victoria is up to something but she doesn’t know what. But whatever it is I bet it will help us also get you full custody of Lucy back.” Jacinda looks surprised and relieved “I didn’t realize she was being investigated.” Henry looks guilty “Well yes and no. It’s kind of our own investigation.”He puts his hands up and his voice goes higher as she starts to look annoyed “Hear me out. Detective Weaver says there is some missing women and they all have these symbols on their wrists, well Ivy found the same symbols drawn on pages on Victoria’s desk and it turns out those pages go to a book that detective Jones found which is like a diary sort of, of one of the missing women. So Ivy started looking further into the security tapes at work to see what Victoria has been up to and now she says she found something. If it’s connected to the missing women and it’s a crime we can get her put away. The custody will be given back to you and they will stop building and probably give everyone their businesses back and everyone wins.” Henry finishes looking excited and wide eyed like he just saved her. “That’s great Henry….but this sounds dangerous don’t you think you should call detective Weaver?” Henry shakes his head. “He said he can’t get a warrant and officially look around unless we find something solid. So I can go and see what Ivy found and then we can take it to Weaver if it’s enough. She wants me to bring Roni….you can come-” Jacinda shakes her head. “No you and Roni go, I have to stay with Lucy. It’s a school night and Sabine is out late after closing the truck with Drew.” Henry smiles. “Okay well I better get going so I can fill Roni in on a few things before we get there.” Jacinda nods “Keep me posted on what you find out and Henry-” she grabs his wrist and looks at him with worried eyes “Be careful.” He nods with a smile “I will.” As he places a quick peck on her cheek. 

Henry texts Roni Ivy found something on the security tapes of Victoria, she needs our help. I am on my way to get you. Roni replies Ok I will be ready but I have to bring Emma, I can’t leave her at my house alone. Henry replies sarcastically Oh so this is what it takes to meet your mystery woman :p jk. That’s fine. Henry’s phone pings again Roni: Haha very funny, we’re ready when you are. Henry types back Almost there.  
***

Roni takes the picture of the other her, other Emma and younger Henry up to the apartment from where she had it stashed under the bar counter. After her talk with Kelly and Emma after the nightmare she really is starting to believe in past lives and this photo, it just feels like it means something so she wants to frame it. She goes up the stairs to her apartment, enters the door, she rounds the corner and places the photo on the kitchen island. She is pouring a cup of coffee for herself when she looks over the island into the living room and sees Emma sitting on the couch. Emma in sweatpants and a sweatshirt looking like any other normal person in the world… except for this Emma is sipping hot tea from a cup and saucer with her pinky in the air like royalty and her knees bent with her ankles crossed in her bare feet. Only this little ‘Princess’ could still look regal in sweats she laughs to herself. “What’s so funny?” Emma asks with an arch eyebrow. Roni shakes her head “Nothing I’ve just never seen someone look so proper and regal but at the same time be so comfortable in a sweatsuit.” Emma takes another sip humming a familiar song. Roni tilts her head “What’s that song you’re humming? It sounds familiar.” Emma looks up “Hmm...oh um. You know I am not sure the name of it but my mother used to sing it to me. “Some day my prince will come..”she starts to sing in a voice of an angel that Roni could listen to forever except she is laughing at the irony of the disney sounding song. “So is that what you are waiting for princess? A prince to come and sweep you off your feet?” Emma looks Roni over and takes in her black leather boots, tight jeans that hug her ass, tight Def Leppard t-shirt, jean jacket and her dark curly hair as she saunters over towards Emma. 

Roni is closer to the couch now, she sets down her coffee as Emma gets up, sets her tea on the table and closes the distance. Intense eyes stare at each other with fire in them. “No, I think I’m perfectly content with the sarcastic bar owner that gives me free drinks.” Roni eyes Emma curiously at this new confidence “Is that so?” She says slow and low as she inches toward Emma. Their lips almost brushing and all Emma can do is slowly nod. Right as their eyes flutter closed Roni’s phone pings “Seriously” she growls. This is the millionth time she has almost kissed Emma and it’s killing her. She looks at Emma apologetically as she moves away to get her phone. Emma seems unphased and takes her spot back on the couch. 

Roni looks up from her phone to Emma frantically. “What?” Emma asks slightly alarmed. “Henry says Ivy found something on the security tapes. Something that may be incriminating for Victoria and Ivy needs us to come with her in just in case. She is nervous what she will find.” 

Emma looks at Roni with wide eyes “Henry.”she whispers. “My son.” her face lights up. “I can see him Roni?” Roni frowns and winces, she hates to tell this woman bad news, this isn’t the Henry Emma knows or remembers. The blonde reads Roni’s face before she even gets a reply out “Not my Henry...Right.” She sits down next to Emma and places a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry Emma this Henry...he is full grown. He is not the boy or teenager you describe. He doesn’t know you, I have done what I can to keep you two from meeting as I know it will be hard for you so you don’t have to come, you can stay here and watch a movie, I can start it for you.” Roni smiles at Emma who smiles back, she places her hand over Roni’s on her leg. “No I want to come with you.” Their fingers intertwined “I will go wherever you go, remember? Especially if it may be dangerous. I will be ok, I will meet this Henry and make peace with this life. If I am stuck here I can’t just be locked in your apartment all day right? I need to meet people, your friends eventually.” Emma is determined, resolute to stand by Roni and Roni is captivated by this. She has never felt so loved, wanted or cared for in her life that she can remember. She has never met anyone to fight for her or with her before. Roni smiles and squeezes Emma’s hand “Alright I will let Henry know. He’s been asking about you anyway.” She frees her hand to text Henry back when Emma pops up “He has?” Roni nods as she texts. “Yeah courtesy of my obnoxious sister everyone who hasn’t met you thinks I have a new secret girlfriend stashed up here. So he has been very curious as to who you are.” Roni looks up and meets Emma’s wide eyes and realizes she said girlfriend and never explained that she corrected them. “I mean of course I told him Kelly is just joking and I have no girlfriend but you’re my friend from out of town, I can’t really tell him you are from another realm he will think we’re crazy.” Emma looks deflated and Roni can’t tell if she just made it worse or not. “Of course.” Emma answers. 

Emma is not sure what to think. Her mind is going crazy on one hand she is highly protective of Roni. She doesn’t want her in any danger and she would really rather stay home all night watching movies curled up next to her even if they never touch. Just being near her makes her feel content. She wonders if Roni’s phone hadn’t gone off if they would have kissed. They were so close, she’s not sure she can contain herself much longer. She wants Roni in every sense of the word and she can tell she wants her too, she’s just scared of what comes next. Will it change things between them? Will that be good if it does or bad? If she is stuck here she doesn’t want to ruin the one close friendship she has with the person who seems to understand her the most. But the sound of the word girlfriend on Roni’s lips when referring to her had made her heart flutter. In the same breath Roni had taken it away and just thinking of anyone else with Roni makes Emma angry. On the other hand she thinks about Henry and gods she aches to see her son but this isn’t her son and she feels like she is about to break. She has no idea how to act or what to say. What will he look like? Will he like her or will she do something stupid and make herself look crazy? 

“Emma..” Emma’s head shoots up “Yeah?” “You ok?” Roni asks with a raised eyebrow “Yep just thinking...kinda nervous to meet Henry. I don’t want to mess it up.” Roni smiles warmly. “I understand. I will introduce you as Emma and all you have to do is be yourself but less formal and princessy.” Emma nods and takes a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today Henry and Emma meet. Henry Roni and Ivy investigate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say thanks to everyone who is leaving these great positive comments I love that you guys are liking it so far. I wanted Ivy to be a good guy this time around because I felt she would be so much better as a good guy then the enemy. I didn't really like how they tried to make her like Regina 2.0 or something.

Henry pulls up to pick up Roni and Emma, he puts the car in park and sends a text to let Roni know he’s there. He gets one back that they will be coming out soon. 

“Emma listen it’s okay. I know we usually walk everywhere since everything is close by so you don’t have experience in cars but it’s just like a carriage. You ride in a carriage right?” Emma is panicking as soon as she saw the car pull up, not because of Henry this time but because it’s loud, huge, metal and she has never been in one. She has seen them as they walk of course and she knows what they are and what they do but she has never been in one. Now she is meeting her not son for the first time in a horrid metal deathtrap and she thinks she may be sick. Roni grabs Emma’s face, one hand on each cheek and looks into her deep blue green eyes. “Breathe Emma, breathe with me. In...out...in..out. It’s okay.” Emma nods her head as she blows out her last breath. “Okay. A carriage?” She looks at Roni with her eyebrows crinkled and a cute little scared look on her face for confirmation. Roni nods “A carriage that’s all. It will be a quick ride. Don’t worry.” “Okay.”

Roni came walking out towards Henry with Emma close behind. She opened the front door and introduces them “Henry this is my friend Emma. Emma this is Henry.” Henry is smiling before he looks up but once he sees Emma his smile fades and he freezes. Henry’s eyes go wide at the recognition of Emma from his book and he nearly faints. Holy hell Lucy might be right, there is no way this could be a coincidence as she is the spitting image of the drawing in his book. How the fuck is this possible? 

“Henry?” Roni waves a hand in front of his face. “Oh right. Hi. Sorry I just...you look... familiar. But um nice to meet you, go ahead and get in guys.” “Nice to meet you as well Henry.” Emma says as she does a slight nod of her head. This may not be as hard as she thought. He looks much different. She can still see her Henry in his eyes and expressions but it’s not like seeing a carbon copy of the one she left so she may be okay. Roni opens the back door for Emma to get in, she helps her with the seat belt and shuts the door. She gets in the front with Henry thinking it will be easier on Emma for her to be the one closest to Henry to make conversation and try to save them all.

“Uh everything okay? Trouble with the seat belt?” Henry asks quizzically. Lucy must be right, everyone knows how to buckle a seat belt why would she need help unless this is the Emma from the book. God nothing makes sense anymore. He feels like he is going crazy. “Oh yeah it’s fine, the seat belt was just not clicking in place but we got it.” Roni quickly replies. She had not thought about how weird that would look to Henry but at least now Emma knows how to do it and shouldn’t need her help again on the way back. 

After Henry explains a little more about what the plan is the car ride is awkward to say the least. Emma attempts conversation but she is not sure what to ask and Henry is so distracted that Roni has to keep prompting for his answers. “So Henry, Roni says you are an author? I hear Lucy loves your book.” Henry’s mind is going nuts, the book, she knows about the book. Is this a set up? He shakes his head. “Henry are you alright?” Roni asks. “Yeah I’m sorry, uh Emma to answer your question yes I am an author and Lucy is pretty enthusiastic about the book. Speaking of the book, my main character’s name is Emma in the book, strange huh?” Emma looks away not sure how to reply and Roni closes her eyes trying to brace herself for Emma’s reply, she thinks this is it, this is where Emma breaks down and tells him everything and she will have to fight to keep her from being committed to a mental hospital. But when no one replies he is dying to break the awkward silence. “Well anyway I am trying to write a second book but hit a bit of writer’s block.” Emma nods “Oh, well is your second book about the same characters? Or were you trying for a new theme altogether?” She is genuinely curious. This Henry seems nice, kind and caring but also looks very nervous. He hasn’t lied or done anything wrong so she can’t understand what he has to be nervous about it isn’t like he knows her the way she knows who he is. “Well the original idea was to make that first book into a series but I may have to just start from scratch and do something different.” 

“You know it may still come to you, sometimes if you take a step back and stop thinking so hard the idea will hit you when you least expect it and then the story will write itself so to speak. I think maybe you are so focused on it and stressed that it’s keeping you from writing.” Roni turns back to Emma surprised. “Wow Emma that’s really good advice.” Henry nods enthusiastically “Yeah it really is. Do you write too?” Emma smiles and shakes her head no “I am not a writer but I knew one once and that is something he had told me before so i am just sharing it with you. I do hope it helps.” Henry looks in the rear view mirror for the first time the whole drive and seems more at ease. “Yes it does. Thank you.” The car pulls around to the side of Victoria’s office building and Henry puts it in park. “Well we’re here.” They made it and Emma was so engrossed in watching Henry, listening to him and focusing on getting to know him she didn’t have another panic attack and decided cars may not be so bad after all. 

Henry looked down at his phone and back up to Roni “Alright she said to come in, she’s already inside.” They pile out of the car, Henry locks it up and leads them up to the door. Henry opens the door and motions for the two women to go ahead in first. Emma nods her head “Such a gentleman, thank you.” Henry smiles “You are very welcome.” Roni is grinning from ear to ear to see them getting along so well and Emma seems more at ease now. This sight makes Roni happier then she has been in a long time and she can’t figure out why it’s so important to her. 

Once inside they find Ivy staring at the paused computer screen. “Ivy, we’re here.” Henry says as Ivy turns to greet them. “You know me and Roni and this here is Emma, Roni’s friend I told you about.” Ivy waved them up to the desk. “Nice to meet you Emma. Thanks for coming guys. I just don’t know what to think anymore.” She shakes her head “Look at this.” She presses play and they watch the same scene Ivy had seen unfold. They watch her go to the elevator, find the hidden floor and the hidden door in the elevator and get off at the unknown floor. 

Roni breaks the silence first. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. I expected she could be hiding something but this is crazy.” Henry shakes his head “Have you ever seen this before? Is it in the blue prints for the building?” Ivy shakes her head “No I have never seen it before and I checked the blue prints and nothing is there. Which means she has been concealing it on purpose.” Henry steps back and says “Well let’s go check it out.” Roni pulls Emma aside “Hey Emma, I think you should wait here. We don’t know what we will find and I would rather not put you in danger.” Emma looks at her with care, she reaches up a hand on Roni’s shoulder. “Are you sure you will be alright?” Roni smiles and nods. “Yea, yeah I'm good. Henry is going with us so I am sure a big strong man like him can protect us.” she says sarcastically with a small laugh. “But really we will be fine. I will be fine. Just stay here and wait for us.” Emma sits on the couch in the waiting room as she says “As you wish.” Emma stays patiently on the couch as the rest pile into the elevator. 

Ivy mimics what her mother did on the recording and soon they are watching the elevator open up to the unknown floor. Henry looks out to make sure everything is safe “Stay close behind me, we don’t know what to expect.” They nod trying to stay quiet. The doors open to a long corridor with some rooms that have open doors and just look like storage rooms. Empty shelves and old looking desks. They keep walking down the hall and Roni spots a lock of black hair on the ground. She picks it up. “Hey Guys…” They turn around and she holds it up to them. “So this is weird since Victoria is a blonde.” Ivy and Henry look shocked “I don’t like this at all. What has my mother gotten herself into?” Ivy whispers.They all shake their head and Henry motions ahead for them to keep moving. They get to the end of the corridor and see it opens up to a large space. Their vision is blocked by some large shelves, it almost looks like a warehouse with pipes that line the walls. As they turn to round the corner they are greeted by large doberman pinscher guard dogs that lurch forward towards them growling, barking so the three of them turn around and run. “Come on guys let’s go, get to the elevator.” Henry yells as he is shoving them in front of him. They run as fast as they can until they notice the dogs are gone. It looks like their chain had run out but they can still hear them growling and barking ferociously. They make it to the elevator and all let out a deep breath of relief. 

“Well she must be hiding something big if its guarded.” Henry says. “Not to mention this hair.” Roni adds. “I think we have enough for Weaver to get a search warrant.” Ivy nods in agreement. Roni pats Ivy’s shoulder. “Are you ok?” She asks as Ivy presses the needed buttons on the elevator. Ivy sighs “Yes and no. I am just disappointed. I never thought my mom was the best but not evil either. But this, this just seems so dark even for her.” Roni pulls her in for a hug which is out of character for her but given the situation she knows Ivy needs it and would rather it be her than Henry. Roni has nothing against Ivy but she wants Henry and Jacinda together and will be a buffer between him and Ivy if needed. “I’m sorry Ivy.” Roni says as she is pulling away. “I know this must be hard.” The elevator stops and they get off.

Emma stands wide eyed and relieved. “So? How’d it go?” Roni holds up the lock of hair. “I think we have enough for the search warrant.” 

On the way back to Roni’s she fills in Emma on what had happened and Henry agrees he will go to Weaver and take him the hair. Ivy had said she will turn over the tapes as well. That should be more than enough. Henry is all smiles when he calls Jacinda on the way home. He hates it came to this but is happy they can get Lucy away from Victoria once and for all. Henry and Jacinda make plans for another date but this time an official date and they talk about different things they can do with Lucy as well once all this is settled. It finally feels like things are looking up.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shits about to go down guys...  
> Weaver has the warrant and they are going to raid Victoria's office..what will they find?
> 
> I took some liberties with names instead of Rogers Killian is Jones. just FYI so none are confused.

Ivy gave the tapes to Weaver and kept everything to herself, she didn’t tell her mother what she had found. She couldn’t risk her hiding evidence or running. Now that Weaver has the hair, the tapes and photos of the pages it was enough to get a search warrant and take Victoria in for questioning at least. Weaver came the next day with the search warrant, detective Jones and several officers catching Victoria completely off guard in the middle of a staff meeting. “Excuse me?! What is the meaning of this!” She shrieks as they barge in the office with officers spreading to each office to start searching. The employees all muttering and looking around wondering what will happen next. One kind of nerdy looking accountants looks like he may have a panic attack. “Ah Ms. Belfrey, we have a search warrant for the entire building and we will have to ask you to come with us until we are finished.” Weaver said as he held up the search warrant and an officer escorted her to a smaller office that had already been searched. 

Weaver and Jones took the lead in the elevator when Ivy explained what buttons to push. They made her stay at the front desk because of the dogs and they took a trained animal specialist with them armed with tranquilizers just in case. The detectives and officers quietly enter the corridor and spread out checking each room. Weaver and Jones keep going through the corridor to search the rest of the area. The dogs shoot out of nowhere, one biting Jones in the leg, he kicks it off and jumps back far enough out of reach. The specialist shoots both the dogs with the tranquilizers and him and another officer carries them to the animal van to be transported to the shelter where they can try to re-train them to not be aggressive. Weaver keeps going towards the right and silently motions to Jones to go to the left. Jones limps through the area, it is cluttered with unused furniture and pipes line the wall. He finally spots a large open space. “Weaver! I found something!” Weaver comes running to him. “What is it?” Jones just points to a huge symbol drawn on the floor in what looks like blood. The same symbol as on all the wrists. “What the bloody hell is going on here?” Jones turns to Weaver and asks as he now spots some candles, herbs hanging and an alter. “This looks like some kind of secret cult sacrificing layer or something.” 

“Jones take some pictures of this, we need to get some techs down here to get samples and see if this is real blood or paint.” Jones nods and radios for backup and some CSI techs to get samples of the area. The keep walking and hear a noise. “Shh” Weaver looks to Jones. They keep going with guns drawn and the clanking gets louder. “The pipes.” Jones whispers to Weaver. They keep going to the wall and spot a woman handcuffed to the pipes on the wall. “Eloise?” Jones asks. “Yes.” The woman whispers and nods. Her hands are cuffed to the pipes on the wall, she has dirt on her face, hands and dress. Her hair is a long, curly, unruly, matted mess. “It’s ok we are here to help. We are going to get you out of here ok?” He says as he holsters his gun and gently and slowly moves towards her. She nods quickly. There is a tray with a tea pot and one tea cup off to the side close to where Eloise is chained up. At least it looks like Victoria was semi taking care of her Jones muses to himself. They get her down and Jones helps her out of the building and into an ambulance. The rest of the employees stare on in shock. Murmurs are heard through the office as people gasp as he escorts Eloise out. Weaver goes to where Victoria is being held and cuffs her. “Victoria, you are under arrest for kidnapping so far. We are taking you in for questioning for everything else we found that points to the murders of the missing women.” He continues to read her rights to her as he escorts her out while she is screaming profanities and demands. “Take your hands off me! I didn’t do anything! You are making a big mistake IVY!!!” She throws her head back in one last attempt to get her daughters attention. He shoves her into the back of the police car as Ivy ducks her head and looks away disappointed in her mother. 

“I can’t believe this is happening. I had no idea a person was being held down there. I’m so sorry.” Ivy cries on Jones’s shoulder when he comes back inside. “Hey it’s ok, we always want to believe the best in our parents, I’m sorry she put you in the middle of this. You will have to come to the station with us and answer some questions. Is there anyone you can call to run the office or would you like to go ahead and lock up?” Ivy looks around at everyone, they are scared, angry, shocked, any emotion you can think of. “I will lock up. Let me address this with them real quick.” Jones nods and heads out the door. “Alright everyone, um due to recent events I will be locking up early today and the project will be put on hold. Everyone can go for now and I will call you when this is all straightened out. In the meantime no one can speak of this to anyone since it is an ongoing investigation.” They look around at each other, mumble some things and file out of the office. Ivy sighs, she grabbed her purse and locks up the office. 

Back at the station she answers all the questions she can, of course she doesn't know much more than what she had already told the officers. “These pages have you seen them before?” Jones asks Ivy as he pulls out the pages that were in her mother’s office. “Yes they were in mothers office, I took pictures of them and gave them to Henry which is how you guys got involved in the first place.” Jones pulls out the book “These pages fit perfectly in this book...have you seen it before?” She shakes her head “No, she only had the pages. But I don’t know what it means.” He nods still staring at her. Hours later when questioning is done she is starving and sad and drained. She heads to Roni’s bar for a drink, some dinner and hopefully some company. She isn’t ready to be alone quite yet. 

Ivy enters the bar with the food she got from the food truck, as the bell dings Roni’s face looks up from behind the bar and she smiles at Ivy. “Hey how’d it go? You holding up ok?” she asks as she pours Ivy a drink. Ivy shook her head “No Roni, I feel terrible! I mean I knew she was hiding something but they found a woman chained up, the same missing woman Weaver was asking about. My mother kidnapped her for God sakes.” Roni’s jaw dropped “Are you sure Victoria kidnapped her? I mean she’s awful but kidnapping seems harsh even for her.” Ivy takes a large swallow of her drink and shakes her head “No I have been at the station for hours and Eloise, the lady she kidnapped told the whole story. Of course my mother is denying it but they have her on camera in the elevator, she obviously knew she was there at the very least. But also the hair we found matches one of the dead women. It’s over, she’s going to prison. I feel terrible for the woman Eloise but I also feel bad for her, she’s still my mother.” 

“Listen Ivy I know this is hard and maybe there is an explanation, only time will tell what really happened but in the meantime you should not take it out on yourself.You can’t feel bad that you didn’t know or didn’t stop her sooner. You did what you could when you noticed something, that is the important thing. Hell you saved that woman’s life. Who knows what would have happened if she would have stayed there longer. Shit for all you know you could have been in danger, obviously there’s more to your mother then any of us knew.” Roni pours more liquor into Ivy’s glass as Ivy continues to eat while thinking about what Roni had said. “You know Ivy maybe you should go spend some time with Jacinda and Lucy so you’re not alone. It’s been a long day for you.” Ivy nods. “Yeah maybe. I can ask her, it’s not like we are best friends though.” Roni laughs. “I know you haven’t been super close but in a time like this I am sure she won’t mind. Hell maybe you guys can patch things up. Everyone deserves a second chance.” Ivy smiles “Thanks Roni, I will go talk to her.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are almost there guys! Thanks for coming on this journey. In today's chapter we see a little more of Eloise, Victoria, Zelena and Rumple. don't worry we will have more of our girls soon. One of my fav chapters is just one more chapter away.

It’s been a few days since Victoria has been in jail, Ivy is back at work trying to salvage as much of the business as she can and her and Jacinda are now on better terms. It feels like everything is starting to work out and honestly Ivy is happier as bad as that sounds. She has free reign of the company, she has proven she is worthy of it and is making some positive changes already. She spends her nights at the bar with Roni and Emma who have been very relieved that all this is over. 

Jones set Eloise up in an apartment, he made sure she has all the food and tea she needs, clothes and necessities. He spends time with her to gather information and because he feels some kind of connection to her for some unknown reason. She tells him Victoria tricked her, pretended to be her friend, gave her some tea but it was drugged. She woke up chained up in that basement looking room, alone. Victoria would bring her tea and food to keep her alive but mostly she was alone. She said Victoria would perform rituals, using the hair in some kind of potion she was dabbling in. “None of it made sense to me, she was speaking in a language I have never heard. I think she is into some very dark creepy stuff and I am just so thankful you saved me.” She smiles sweetly at Jones as he blushes. “Well just doing my job. Happy that I could help. If you think of anything else please let us know.” He leaves his business card for her and she sees him to the door. They have one final glance at each other before the door closes. 

Victoria however is another story. Jones and Weaver have gotten nowhere with her and now another woman is missing, they are at a breaking point. 

“Tell me what you know of these.” Weaver demands as he slams down three photos of dead women. Victoria winces and looks away. “I didn’t do this.” Weaver laughs “Oh don’t tell me it bothers you now. You kidnapped a woman and held her hostage, you have been tied to these murders. You can’t expect me to believe these pictures bother you.” 

She huffs frustrated and situates herself in the uncomfortable metal chair. She pushes the photos on the metal table back towards Weaver. “It does bother me detective because I did not do this. That woman you freed is the one responsible for these murders. She is a witch, she is killing the coven members and stealing their power. That’s why there was a huge symbol on the ground at my office. I caught her breaking into my building, I followed her and found her performing her ritual. I could not come to any of you because no one would believe me.” 

Weaver takes a deep breath and crosses his legs, folds his hands together on the table in front of him and says “Well you got to admit, its is a little hard to believe especially at this point.” She shakes her head. “I’m telling the truth and you worthless cops are no match for magic.” He narrows his eyes at her as she defiantly stares back at him. “The way I see it you would say anything to save your hide. But Ms. Belfrey what you don’t seem to understand is all the evidence points to you. The symbols, the alter, the blood, the hair were all found in your building all matching the victims. You did nothing to clean the blood on the ground, if it was Eloise as you claim then why leave it there? Now there is a new victim who was found dead behind the dumpster in the alleyway of your building and she had the same symbol on her wrist. You can’t tell me all this is coincidence.” He gives her a knowing look. “Well detective, obviously I couldn’t have killed anyone from inside here, and if I was a killer why wouldn’t I have killed Eloise. Why keep her alive if I’m such a murderer? Hmm?” She waits, Weaver doesn’t answer, he doesn’t know. But his interest is peaked and he wonders what more Victoria knows of magic. Is she awake? Or is this her speculation on an old world witch coven? “Tell me Victoria, what do you know of magic? You expect me to believe these women had real powers so what kind of game are you playing here?”  
She relaxes back into the chair and puts her hands in her lap. “Magic is very real and that woman is very powerful, I couldn’t get the blood off the floor without making a bigger mess or incriminating myself by having blood on my hands literally, besides I had no idea what she was doing and I was scared of what may happen if I disturbed any of the stuff she had used to do whatever ritual she was doing. I told you no one would believe me. So I think we’re done here. I have nothing more to say.” 

Victoria is escorted back to her cell. Weaver is left to his office frustrated but he knows he got somewhere. This sure did sound like Victoria is awake, if she is awake then Eloise is also, which means he needs to figure out what she is up to. If Victoria is right then Eloise could be the most powerful villain they have faced and will be no help in getting Emma back to the wish realm or breaking the curse. If Victoria is right then Eloise is the one who cast the curse. He really needs the curse to break to get access to all his magic to stop Eloise. He calls Zelena back in for a chat. 

“Have you gotten anywhere with Henry and Jacinda?” He asks, Zelena shakes her head. “No, they went on a few dates and definitely love each other, probably even kissed but...” she looks around “We are still in the curse so..” Weaver explains what Victoria told him, what they found and Eloise’s statement.

He continues “If we can break the curse then we will have full access to our magic to stop Eloise.” Zelena thinks on this a moment “Wait a tick, you think we should just up and believe Victoria? How do we know it’s not her?” He leans back in his chair “Well I thought of that but more witches have been killed since she has been in jail. And I remember Victoria since before the curse but I have no knowledge of Eloise and she is not in the book. That is enough for me to be suspicious of her.” Zelena nods “Well yeah I suppose you’re right on that. But what could she possibly want?” He stands and waves a hand “That’s the thing, I don’t know. There’s no way to know without knowing who she is, I have researched everything and there is nothing about her anywhere.” Zelena huffs “Great, just bloody great so we’re going in blind and without magic!” 

“Calm down Zelena, I have some magic saved, it’s not much but it’s enough to open a doorway to let magic in, we just have to find the doorway in this town. But we are kind of on a time crunch here so the faster we can break the curse the faster we can get Eloise and get the hell out of here. Whatever she has planned it’s much bigger than the curse or else there would be no reason to curse us all and take our magic.” Zelena tilts her head to the right “Good point, what better way to take over the world then render everyone else powerless. I’m almost mad I didn’t think of it.” She laughs. Rumple looks at her with a raised eyebrow “Kidding, kidding of course. I’m good now, on the straight and narrow.” She mocks. “Now let’s catch us a witch, or break the curse, whichever comes first.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today we learn more about Eloise and see some Kelly (Zelena) Emma bonding

Eloise. 

Eloise is actually Gothel and she is a witch but a special kind that comes from nature. She draws her power from the earth, she can make flowers, trees, and grass grow. She can create nature and bring it back to life. She used to have a family, friends, a community hidden from humanity, where nature thrived and so did her race. Her home was beautiful, huts and towers made from thin trees that had grown out of the earth together forming the houses. Ivy growing up and covering the buildings. Fields of flowers of all kinds flooded all around their utopia. Animals, butterflies, birds, insects everything living in peace. Everyone was happy and healthy. Her mother was preparing her to take over and run the community but that’s not what she wanted. It was an obligation for her, what she was raised to do but she had bigger dreams. Dreams of a world where her kind and all magical beings could live alongside humans in harmony.

All she ever wanted was to be able to exist with the humans and have friends. As a teenager she would sneak out and watch the humans, the rich, their gowns and money and glamorous life intrigued her. One afternoon she broke into one of the homes through an unlocked back door. She was in awe of how beautiful the house was, the intricate carvings of the trim, the gold flecks in the paint. The crystal chandelier over her head made her jaw drop as she looked over the room. Her fingers found a dress and traced the gold stitching as she soaked in the beautiful garment. There was a small rosebud attached to the dress, she touched it and made it bloom, full and lively. All of a sudden she hears a gasp from across the room and her head jerks up in surprise. She has been caught, she needs to run, but the young women approach her and ask her to teach them magic, they are new and excited and promise friendship to her only if she will come back later and join them at a ball. 

She is on cloud nine floating home to get ready for this ball her new friends have invited her to. “Gothel honey I told you not to venture out of the community, humans are not to be trusted.” Her mother scolds “You have to get ready to take the crown so I need you here with us, with our family.” Gothel huffs “But they’re my friends, they want to learn magic, they like me. I have to go back to the ball. I’ve never been to one and it sounds amazing.” Her mother has a soft but stern look as she forbids her to go. 

So like any rebellious teenager she goes anyway. Big mistake. She is ambushed at the party, they throw dirt and mud on her, they laugh at her. It’s humiliating and she is pissed. She takes her revenge on the party in the form of a giant Venus fly trap that attacks her attackers but one of the girls joins her side. This girl is like her but was scared, at the last minute she jumped in and helped her so they leave together and Gothel takes her home with her. Only when they get there her home is destroyed, the whole community burned. The party was a distraction and now she has lost everything and everyone, all of them are dead. 

And that’s the day she started planning her revenge, which leads us to the present.

Gothel is brooding in her apartment, she is gathering herbs, hair and blood from all her victims. She has had many years to plan and set this in motion. First the curse and now she will recreate her homeland. She will wipe out the human race and re-populate it with her people, she will have her land back and it will be bigger and better than ever. She has already gathered the coven together and drained the power from them all. She set up Victoria to take the fall and be a distraction. Now all she has to do is perfect the potion and she can start the transformation of this city into a beautiful nature utopia, void of all the buildings, cars, technology and most of all humans. 

It is the perfect plan for her revenge and while she gets all the final pieces in place she keeps Jones in her pocket in an attempt to keep him off her case. She's already played dumb about magic to Weaver who's questions indicate he is probably awake. She bakes Jones cookies as a thank you, sends him cards, invites him over for tea. She feeds him her sob story of being orphaned after her parents were killed which is not untrue. Jones is a sucker for a damsel in distress and he thinks he needs to care for her as she is “all alone”. Little does he know that she can more than take care of herself but she lets him think she needs him and she lays it on thick. He is basically a puppy for her, he may even be falling for her as she weaves her web of lies to him and he is none the wiser. 

Jones is defending her to Weaver as he wants to bring her in for more questioning on the new murders. Jones won’t allow it, he hides her, he confides in her and he puts himself at risk each time. Weaver is smart he knows what Jones is doing but he also knows Gothel is manipulating Jones into thinking she is the helpless Eloise. Weaver may not know exactly who she is and her whole story but he knows she is lying and up to something so he keeps pushing on and searching for some kind of clue. But time is running out and they are no closer to breaking the curse with Henry and Jacinda and Weaver is starting to worry. He can’t allow Roni and Emma to break it, who knows what kind of backlash they will suffer if this happens so he has ‘Kelly’ keeping them apart as much as she can. 

Kelly aka Zelena is taking Emma sightseeing, she takes her to every museum, statue, and every fake historical place in the town she can find just to keep Emma from Roni. Now they are enjoying lunch on a bench by a pond. It’s a nice day and the water is calming. “Thank you for showing me around.” Emma says as she takes a big bite of her sandwich. “Well someone had to do it, my greedy little sister was just keeping you all to herself.” She winks at Emma “Oh I don’t think Roni was trying to do that, I think she just works a lot.” Kelly laughs “Yes that’s true but if I had a girl like you, new to the city I would take a vacation, go see the world and have much more fun than cuddling all night after a nightmare.” she wiggles her eyebrows at Emma who blushes. “She told you about that?” Kelly nods “Oh yes. She likes you more than she will admit but she is a slow mover with you and well me, I would have sealed the deal by now. But then again I like men so who am I to say how she should pursue her ‘interests’.” Emma ducks her head and stuffs another bite down as her cheeks go red. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of darling. I won’t tell her how you feel. You two can take your precious time freaking out but in the meantime you need to get out more, see the city, get a job, learn new things. I know we can’t get you home Emma but you can at least build a life here. If you get a job you can get your own place and buy your own clothes instead of wearing Roni’s dreadful wardrobe.” 

Emma looks up wide eyed “Y..you mean leave Roni?” she shakes her head. “I don’t want to leave her apartment. I mean I suppose I can learn a job and contribute but I don’t want to move out.” Kelly swallows her bite and wipes her mouth “You don’t want your own space?” Emma shakes her head quickly “No, no I...I can’t describe it but I don’t like being away from her. I don’t want to be away from her.” She looks to Kelly almost frightened “Does she want me to leave? Is that what all this is? Get me out here and break the news to me because she can’t do it?” She stands up and starts pacing nervously. Kelly puts the remaining food wrapper down and stands up, she grabs Emma by the shoulders “Calm down... bollocks... I was just making a suggestion. She has never mentioned wanting you to leave. In fact I can tell by how she looks at you with lovesick puppy dog eyes she doesn’t want to be away from you either. It’s utterly disgusting how you two pine for each other.” Emma lets out a sigh and smiles a dopey grin. “I had fun today Kelly but I think I’d like to go back to Roni now.” Kelly rolls her eyes “Suit yourself but next time I’m taking you to a play, get some culture in you.” She winks at Emma before throwing their trash and leading her back towards the bar.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Todays chapter has a lot of one on one time with our girls! I hope you guys enjoy. Now while I was writing this chapter I was watching The Shining for the first time so all of Emma's reactions are actually mine lol. I still feel like I wasted part of my life on that movie and I have no idea why everyone thinks its so great but oh well. Anyway I really hope you all enjoy this chapter and next chapter is when shit gets real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost at the end guys! I am so excited to see what everything thinks! Shit is about to get real.

After the outing Emma had with her sister Roni is a bit jealous and takes a day off from the bar. Technically she doesn’t have to be there everyday but she is a bit of a control freak and likes to make sure everything runs smoothly. She has plenty of people working for her and Jacinda is close by in case anything happens so she takes this opportunity to spend some extra time with Emma. 

She wakes up early, takes a shower, and throws on a pair of leather pants, tall lace up boots, a leopard print sleeveless shirt and her black leather jacket with roses embroidered on it. She puts some moose in her hair and puffs up her curls. Her makeup is immaculate as always, eyes a little dark and smoky matching her outfit. Now she is ready for the day, she emerges from her bedroom to the living room where Emma is dead asleep on the couch still. She pauses to watch her for a moment, the adorable blonde is so peaceful looking on her stomach, one leg hanging off the couch. The blankets are only covering her ass and the rest is hanging from the couch. Her face is wrinkle free, blissful, eyes closed and mouth open with just a smidge of drool slipping out. Yes she is a sight to see, it’s in this moment Roni realizes it’s the only time she looks completely comfortable in this world, she doesn’t look like a princess trying to fit in. Nope she just looks like an adorable sloppy sleeper dead to the world. Roni lets out a small laugh and turns to the kitchen shaking her head. She almost feels bad the blonde has slept on the couch for so long. She thinks maybe they should look into getting a bed for her, it’s not like she has company besides Emma so she may as well convert the living room into an actual bedroom for her. 

Emma wakes to the smell of coffee and pancakes and smiles. She stretches, sits up, rubs the sleep from her eyes and makes her way over to the kitchen still wearing her short sleep shorts and tank top. “Mmm Good morning Roni, It smells delicious in here.” Roni turns and smiles, sliding her a cup of coffee “Good morning sleepy head.” they snicker a bit “Need any help?” Roni shakes her head “Nope, It’s ready, take a seat. I’ll bring you your plate.” The table is already set with butter and syrup for the pancakes. Roni lays down the plate for Emma. “Thank you.”she says with a smile. “You are very welcome dear.” she replies as she sits down with her own plate. “So how did you sleep?” She asks Emma with a smirk because she saw her in a deep sleep. “Very well thank you.” Roni nods “My sister wore you out it seems, you looked like you had been knocked out so I had to let you sleep.” she snorts a small laugh. “Yeah it was fun, she took me all over the city, I had a great time but it was very exhausting. Kelly has lots of energy that’s for sure.” Roni takes out her phone and scrolls to the texts Kelly had sent her. “Yeah I saw .” She slides her phone to Emma that has all the pictures Kelly took of their outing. “Each time you guys went to a new place she sent me a photo of you or the both of you. I think I have enough to do a whole scrapbook.” She says with a laugh. Emma looks at the pictures and looks to Roni. “We don’t have have any together.” Roni smirks “Well we’ll have to change that today.” 

“We will?” Emma’s face is a mixture of excited and surprised. “Yea, I took the day off, figured we should get out and do something together. I know you did a lot with Kelly yesterday but I also know I have been working a lot and not spending as much time with you. I thought we could fix that. Do something you want to do. Aaand while we’re out we can take some pictures.” Emma finishes her food “I would like that very much.” Her response warms Roni’s heart. “Great. Finish getting ready and think about what you want to do and we can head out. Leave your plate and I will take care of the dishes while you shower.” Emma nods with a broad smile and heads to the bathroom. 

After her shower she puts on some jeans, a new plain black tank top and the jacket Roni gave her with some brown boots. She brushes her hair out and puts it in a loose ponytail to dry. Once done she makes her way back to the kitchen where Roni is done cleaning up and just sipping the rest of her coffee. “Figure out where you wanna go?” she asks “Yes! I think I would like to see the tower.” Roni squints a minute contemplating. “Oh you mean the space needle. Yeah we can do that. I’ve never been there either so sounds great.” Roni grabs her phone and wallet and they head out. “I borrowed Henry’s car because it’s too long of a walk I hope you don’t mind driving there.” She says as she looks to Emma hopeful. “I don’t mind. I feel much better in cars now.” Roni lets out a breath “Great.”

The drive to the space needle was not too long, uneventful with a little small talk about Emma’s day with Kelly and a little bit of Kelly and Roni’s history growing up. They make it to the space needle, they park and walk up to the building. Emma is in awe, she has never seen anything so large before up close, especially these modern designs. They take the full tour, there are stairs, elevators, glass floors. It’s overwhelming. They take the glass elevator up. “It’s ok Emma, it’s glass but it’s secure see.” Roni moves forward towards the wall of the elevator and knocks on it. Emma inches towards her and Roni reaches her hand out to her. Emma takes her hand as Roni gives her a reassuring look. “This is amazing.” Emma finally says. Roni gives her hand a quick squeeze “Yes it really is.” 

They exit the elevator and make their way to the observation deck. “Wow.”Emma whispers as she looks to Roni with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “You can see the whole city from here!” Her childlike excitement is amusing to Roni and she can’t help but feel the same way. “Yeah I’ve always heard about this place and how great it is but I have never been here. It really is wonderful.” They just stand there and watch the city, it’s hard to believe everyone has whole lives and businesses going on from this point of view. From this view it looks like everything is at a stand still. They can see buildings and cars moving but its too far to see any people. The observation deck is large, circular, and they make their way around to see more of the city still holding hands. Neither of them acknowledges their hands and neither of them complains or moves away. 

Roni takes out her phone and snaps a few photos of the city. She gets a picture of Emma looking out at the city in awe of the sight before her and it’s beautiful, Emma is beautiful she thinks. “Ok let’s get a picture of us together as I promised.” They stand with their backs to the city and Roni angles the phone to get them both with the city in the background. “Smile” she says as she snaps the photo. “Looks good.”she says as she shows Emma. “I like it.”she agrees. “Let’s go to the side the water is on, we can get a great picture over there too.” Roni leads the way almost dragging Emma who is distracted still watching the city. Roni stops abruptly as Emma crashes into her shoulder “Oh sorry” she giggles. Roni laughs “You really gotta pay attention but its okay. Here’s a good place for another picture.” After a few more selfies with the city and the bay in the background Emma decides she wants to try taking a picture. “Okay so look at the screen and when you get it focused how you want it just push this button here.” Roni instructs as she tells her how to use the camera on the phone. “Got it!” Roni wanders off to the side a bit to get a better look while Emma is taking some pictures. Emma watches her for a moment. Roni is breathtaking. She has her leg up one boot resting on the bottom rail and is leaning over the top rail, arms leaning crossed over the rail. Emma snaps a few photos of Roni at this angle, then she zooms in and gets a great close up of her face, relaxed, with a partial smile, her eyes shining. Emma wishes the phone was hers so she can keep the picture herself and look at it everyday. “Ready to go?” she says as she bounces over to Roni. “Well I was thinking maybe we can eat here, there’s a restaurant up here.” She stops “What like a date?” Emma asks. “Well I hear they have great food. Unless you’re not hungry.” Roni replies. Emma smiles “Oh I’m always hungry.” “Perfect.” Roni says as she grabs Emma’s hand again and leads her to the restaurant.

After a delicious, sort of romantic dinner where they shared light conversation and longing glances they make their way back to Roni’s Bar. Henry is there so Roni hands him the keys with a thank you as she leads Emma upstairs to the apartment. “I can get these pictures printed tomorrow if you want and we can hang them up somewhere. In the meantime I got this photo framed, I know it’s not real and it’s not your home but I thought it might make the place feel a little more like home for you.” Emma gasps when Roni holds up the picture Lucy had showed them on Emma’s first day here in this land and tears well in her eyes. “Thank you. It’s wonderful.” Roni sets the photo on the shelf holding the TV and motions for Emma to join her on the couch.

They sit on the couch and get comfortable. “I had a great day today. Thanks for taking me to the space needle it was beautiful.” Roni smiles “Of course. Thank you for suggesting it! What movie you wanna watch?” Roni asks. “Um I don’t know maybe a scary movie?” Roni looks surprised “Oh really?” Emma nods “Ok how about The Shining” “Sure.” Emma shrugs since she hasn’t seen it before. Roni sports an evil grin as she selects it on Netflix. This is gonna be good, she can’t wait to scare the little princess and maybe that makes her a bit evil but she decides it’s more like mischievous curiosity. It will be interesting to see if it does scare her at all considering movies are new to Emma she thinks as the credits roll and a yellow bug drives up a winding road. They look at each other, almost as if something about it is familiar but Jack starts talking and draws their attention back to the movie. 

Emma is quickly bored. “So what is the point of this movie?” Roni bumps her shoulder into Emma’s “It’s not very scary.” “Just watch will ya. There’s always a storyline to every movie. Now hush.” Emma throws her arms up in surrender and pretends to zip her lips with her hand. She settles back down in the couch her arm barely touching Roni’s leg. She leans into Roni a few minutes later “ This kid is crazy.” she whispers. Roni laughs “Just wait.”   
“His wife looks weird, this couple doesn’t go well together.” “Well that’s just rude Emma.” She shrugs “So you think the lady is pretty?” Roni sighs “I’m not saying that, I’m just saying everyone deserves love.” Roni turns on her right side and props herself up on the arm of the couch stretching out her legs a bit. Emma’s still sitting up but scoots over a bit, her legs under Roni’s that are in her lap. She absent mindedly massages Roni’s feet as the movie plays on. “This is a weird movie Roni, this kid thinks there is a kid in his mouth that talks to him..like that makes no sense.” She laughs again “This is what they call a thriller. It’s more of a suspense movie not exactly scary but still good.You just gotta keep watching.”

“Why do these people let their kid run off everywhere alone? I never let Henry run around like that by himself at that age.” Roni groans “It’s just a movie Emma. Do you want to watch something else?” Emma shakes her head and moves her hand up Roni’s leg. “No, I wanna know what happens now. I’m just impatient.” Roni just smiles and keeps watching. 

“Hell no don’t play with those creepy girls kid!” Emma yells at the screen. “You know he can’t hear you right?” Roni cackles a deep throaty laugh. “Shut up.” she says as she playfully smacks her leg. “Ok I promise I’ll be quiet.” Emma says finally, which turns out is a hard promise to keep because she wants to keep saying how crazy the dad and son are and the wife is the only normal one but they are snowed in this creepy hotel with no other people and she wonders how that even happened. She is sure it was probably explained early in the movie when she was talking so she still stays quiet. Until the naked lady. “Oh my. Wait is that who the kid saw? Oh my God! Hold on what is the dad doing...what is really going on?” she shakes her head “EWW oh my God what kind of movie did I let you pick?” Roni just laughs silently. “Not your ideal woman ‘princess’?” Emma shakes her head violently “Hell no.” 

Somewhere through the movie and multiple shifts and moves to get comfortable they end up cuddled close together. Emma’s head on Roni’s chest, her arm around Roni’s waist, their legs tangled together, and Roni’s hand in Emma’s hair. “This movie is almost over and I still don’t understand the point.” Roni just raises her eyebrow “You can pick the next one.” 

A few minutes later “This man has lost his mind and all she can do is weakly wave a baseball bat around. If I was the lady I would take the kid and run.” Emma flinches hard burying her head a little further into Roni “Oh she actually hit him, good for her.” She looks back at the TV. “Get away from the door! Leave him in there…..ok good. I thought she was gonna let him out.” Emma’s head bobs up and down from Roni’s laughter. This is better than watching a comedy, Emma’s reactions are priceless. The next thing Roni knows she hears “Oh they better get out that window!” and then “Why is he walking so slow? She’s so skinny how is she stuck?” and then “There’s no way the kid made it through but she can’t” “Who the heck is Johnny? I thought his name was Jack.” Emma is so confused at this point and she has now totally forgotten her promise to stay quiet. “Oh my God why is the kid back in the place?” she shakes her head. “This isn’t scary it’s frustrating.” And then Emma jumps with a loud squeal and Roni chuckles again. “Didn’t see that coming did you?” Emma shakes her head “Nope.” She says as she tightens her hold on Roni which Roni gives her a reassuring squeeze back. 

Once the movie is over Roni says “Well I guess I don’t have to ask what you thought of it.” Emma shrugs “I’m glad the kid and the lady got out but it was a weird movie and I still don’t get the point.” Roni laughs “Hand me the remote. What do you want to watch next?” Emma reaches over Roni’s torso to the coffee table and gets the remote. They scroll through a few titles. “Something funny.” “Oh what about Bridesmaids?” Roni selects it “This one is very funny.”

They settle in to watch the second movie, Roni drops the remote to the floor right next to the couch and wraps her arm around Emma. She’s comfortable enough to fall asleep if she closes her eyes long enough. 

“Roni?” “Hmm?” “Do you ever want me to get my own place?” Roni shifts up and looks down at Emma “No what makes you ask that? Do you want your own place?” Emma’s eyes look up, her head not leaving Roni’s chest. “No, just something Kelly said. I thought maybe you would want your place back to yourself.” Roni shakes her head. “No Emma I’m perfectly happy with our arrangement. Actually I was thinking maybe we could convert the living room into a bedroom and replace the couch with a bed so you have your own room.” Emma gasps “Really?” Roni strokes Emma’s hair “Yes.” Emma snuggles back into Roni. “You know you shouldn’t listen much to what my sister says. Most the time she has no idea what she is talking about.” 

Emma sits up a bit face to face with Roni “She didn’t say you didn’t want me here, she just thought I may want a job and my own place. I wouldn’t mind a job but I don’t want to leave you as long as you want me here.” Roni reaches and lightly caresses Emma’s face. “Oh Emma, I’ll always want you here.” And that’s all it takes for Emma this time. This time she knows, this time she can’t fight her urges anymore. This time she closes the small distance between them and kisses Roni.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go guys! Shit gets real... the journey is almost over. 
> 
> I am sorry in advance that this is such a short chapter...don't kill me for the cliff hanger again lol. It will be worth it I promise. And thanks to everyone who has commented. I do try to reply to everyone but sometimes I don't get notified of the comments ao3 emails can be weird but I do love u all.

Emma kisses Roni softly at first, hesitant but growing more urgent, then Roni’s hand slides into Emma’s hair giving her the confidence to deepen the kiss further. Emma’s hands tighten on Roni’s waist and behind closed eyes they both see stars literally. Stars and a bright light and it’s everything wonderful and magical they hear about in stories, books and movies. It's love, it's care, it's lust, it's sleepless nights of wondering if the other felt the same melting away as they feel each others passion. 

A burst of rainbow colored light erupts from them emanating through the entire town. Frozen in the kiss their eyes fly open, a million images flashing before them, lifetimes of memories coming back. 

Roni can see the Enchanted Forest, herself as a young girl... Regina, as the Evil Queen, casting the curse, storybrooke, Mayor Regina, adopting Henry, meeting Emma. She sees them fighting, laughing, working together to save Henry, save the town, Emma saving Regina, Regina saving her. She sees everything, the playful banter, the jealousy of Hook, Emma’s jealousy of Robin. Stolen glances, light touches, performing magic together, they even made an eclipse happen. She knows everything, knows who she really is, who Emma really is. Everything and nothing makes sense now. She feels like two different people, she loves Emma and kind of hates her but she wants to be with her all the same. But Emma shouldn’t be here, no she was sent to the wish realm to save her life. She shouldn’t be here and yet she is here and she kissed Regina even when she didn’t know she was Regina. So does this mean she loves Roni or Regina? It’s true love’s kiss, it broke the curse so it must mean she loves all of her right? She can only hope and pray she will still love her after this. 

At the same time Emma sees the horrible foster homes, the few good homes, living on the street, Neal, jail, giving birth to Henry and the pain of giving him up. She sees a 10 yr old Henry, going to Storybrooke, the trips to the Enchanted Forest. She sees her real parents, a town of magical creatures and fairytales brought to life. She sees Regina, fighting with her, alongside her, saving the town. She sees Neverland, she sees her and Regina save the town with magic, Regina teaching her magic, family dinners, fits of jealousy and her becoming the dark one to save Regina. She sees happiness and tears, every memory of her, Regina and Henry flash before her eyes and she suddenly knows why she was in the wish realm. Regina, Regina made the wish to save her because she was dying. She did die but Regina saved her and now she’s here. Her wish brought her here, true love brought her here, back to Regina even when she didn’t know her she still knew her. Still loved her, still loves her but is that enough to save them now? 

The kiss breaks after what felt like a lifetime. “Emma” she whispers and Emma tightens her hold on Regina just at the sound of her name. “Regina” she replies with a dopey look on her face. They lock eyes in understanding that finally after all this time they have admitted their feelings and taken that step, crossed that line and there is no regret. Until the unthinkable happens. 

Meanwhile across town Henry, Jacinda and Lucy are getting ready to go to the arcade when the bright rainbow light hits them. Henry stands in shock, eyes wide open as all his memories come flooding back. Once out of the trance he rushes towards Lucy “Lucy! I remember!” “Daddy!”Lucy jumps into Henry’s arms and Henry leans over next to him and kisses Jacinda. “I love you both.” He says as he pulls Jacinda in for a hug with one arm while still holding Lucy with the other. "Henry" Jacinda breaths with a love sick look at him. “I’m so glad to have you guys back for real.” He says as he holds them tight. “I am so sorry I didn’t believe you Lucy, I was starting to though when I met Emma...Oh my God my moms! We gotta go!” They race out the door towards the bar. 

Ivy is mid conference when the curse breaks and her memories rush her, along with everyone in the office. They all are struck in a trance suddenly, tons of memories rushing them. When they have all their memories back everyone takes off in a panic to find their families. With her memories back she knows her mom had something to do with the curse and Gothel so she decides to leave her in jail while she finds Regina so they can take down Gothel. Her magic is back so Regina’s must be too which means they may have a chance against her. So Ivy heads towards the bar/apartment. 

Rumple is at the station with Jones when the curse breaks. Jones stops mid sentence in a trance as all his memories come back and he realizes who Eloise really is from his past. Everyone is in danger because Gothel is cruel, she disguised herself and tricked him into sleeping with her, used him to have a baby and then left them stuck in a tower. He sees his past with Rumple and realizes what they need to do next. He snaps out of it, grabbing his head and stumbling a bit. “Crocodile? “ Rumple nods “Aye Captain, Someone broke the curse, let’s hope it was Henry and not Emma and Regina. We need to go to the bar and make sure they’re ok. Then we need to find Gothel before she ends us all.” Rumple calls Zelena and now everyone is on their way to Roni’s or Regina’s bar/apartment. 

Emma’s eyes go wide, she clutches her stomach with one hand, the other still on Regina’s waist. “Regina...I …” She’s cut off by blood spilling out her mouth, she’s coughing up blood, holding her stomach and she’s dying all over again. She’s terrified and all she wants to do is tell Regina how she feels before it’s too late again. 

“No! ..no no no not again!” Regina supports Emma’s back and holds pressure to the wound as she slides from the couch to the floor on her knees, this gives her a better hold on the wound. Eyes still locked together Emma’s face contorts in pain and sorrow “Regina...I…” she tries in between gurgled breath and more blood still leaking out her mouth. She reaches for Regina’s face “I...l-love..y-you.” she manages as she coughs up more blood harder this time the world around her quickly becoming fuzzy.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we are at the home stretch here. Does Emma live? Can Regina save her? We are about to find out.

I love you. The words echo in Regina's mind as she lightly kisses different spots all over Emma's face. Her forehead, right cheek, left cheek and her temples. This is the minute the whole group barges in. “Mom's!” Henry yells blindly while opening the door. He freezes when he lays eyes on a bloody Emma who had been moved to the floor and a crying distraught Regina still kissing her face, causing everyone following to crash into him and each other. 

“Stay with me Emma.” She lightly taps her cheek. “ I do love you stay with me!” Emma is fading fast and Regina's heart is shattering worse than ever before. She doesn't think she just reacts. Regina has never been in touch with light magic, she's never healed more than scratches, that's not her, she doesn't save people. Healing came naturally for Emma who is made of light magic, true love, the purest magic and she can't fail Emma. Emma is the Savior, she always saves everyone, she is not meant to die, Regina won’t let her, can’t let her die. Regina was always the cause of pain but she's also always been impulsive and stubborn so she doesn't think she reacts. She looks up to the crowd who is Frozen in emotions not knowing what to do. “Help me dammit!” She pleads and before anyone can respond she lets out a loud heart wrenching cry as she pours all the magic she can gather into healing Emma's body. 

She's on her knees head thrown back, eyes glowing white, white magic pouring out her hands and into Emma. The others are frozen in shock, Regina’s magic is always red or purple never white. White is Emma’s color, it’s the purest magic, this can only mean the love Regina has for Emma has turned her heart from being blackened. This means Regina has good magic, she has pure stronger magic, she can be a hero now. Zelena grabs Rumple “Well don't just stand there! She's killing herself to save Emma.” They run over to Emma and start pouring their own magic in, trying to help heal her and take some of the burden from Regina. Red pouring from Rumple and green from Zelena, their faces strain. “This is very extensive damage.” Rumple yells to Zelena. Ivy pushes past Henry “I think they can use all the help they can get right?” She smiles grimly over her shoulder as she kneels down herself and pours out her own purple magic towards Emma. Henry, Jacinda and Lucy huddle together in tears watching and praying it will be okay. They feel helpless since none of them have magic and all they can do is watch as one of his mom’s is dying and the other one is dying to save her. They go at this for what seems like forever. They look away from the group and see New Hook in the hallway, waiting but not wanting to cut in on this family moment. Bright red, green, white and purple streams of magic all pouring into Emma. The room is completely lit up and under normal circumstances Lucy would be ecstatic at how beautiful it is but as it is one of her grandma’s is dying and she can’t care about anything else right now. 

Emma feels her insides healing, strength returning, she's regaining consciousness as Regina is draining. Finally healed enough to see Regina is basically pouring her life essence into Emma to save her she grabs Regina's arm. She's screaming in pain of everything it's taking to heal Emma despite the help. “Regina!” Her hold tightens on Regina's arm. “I'm ok. Stop! I'm ok.” Regina slows the magic, snapping out of her trance but not fast enough for Emma. “You're killing yourself Regina stop, please. Let them take over.” There's not much left to heal but any more will be damming for Regina and what’s the point of saving Emma if she dies in the process. She stops as requested and collapses. Emma catches her, her head on Emma's chest as Emma holds her. She looks to the others and nods. They keep going a bit longer until Emma feels she is healed. She holds a hand up to the others. She's ok now and they can stop. Without a word they understand and they stop and take a step back. 

They stay on the floor a while, Emma holding Regina, rubbing circles on her back. “You're ok.” Regina whispers almost not believing it, almost afraid to open her eyes and find it won't be true. “Yeah, thanks to you. I'm ok.” Emma kisses the top of her head and breathes in the scent of her hair. Regina clings to Emma as if any moment she'll disappear. 

A few moments later the sound of a throat clearing reminds them they're not alone. Emma looks up and smiles “Thank you all for saving me.” Rumple reaches forward and helps Emma stand as Zelena helps Regina to the couch. “ Always a pleasure dearie, now not to be insensitive but we have a witch to stop. If you and the Queen here would be so kind to join us.” Emma looks to Regina “You need to rest.” Regina shakes her head and stands “ Absolutely not! I'm coming with you. Gothel will regret ever being born for what she's done to us when I'm done with her.” She stands a little shaky. Zelena grabs her “Woah hold on sis, let me heal you a bit so u have enough strength. We can't fight a monster and babysit at the same time.” Regina glares at Zelena while she heals her. “ Oh you love me, stop your brooding.” 

“So you and the Savior eh?” Zelena nods her head towards Emma. “Oh shut it.” Zelena cackles and replies “It’s about damn time.”Regina’s eyebrows shoot up in response. “Oh come on, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife! But I have to admit I didn’t expect it to be love and even better True Love. Snow is gonna shite a brick and I can’t wait.” This actually gives Regina quite the laugh and she shakes her head at her crazy sister but she’s right. Zelena stops the magic and hovers a hand over Regina to get a feel for if she’s fully healed. “In all seriousness though, I’m glad you didn’t run this time. You always mask your feelings and hide as a defense, I’m glad you can let yourself be happy now. I was scared that when you realized who you were that you would push Emma away and be miserable again. I just want you to be happy.” A huge warm grin creeps up Regina’s face. “Thank you. I think I always knew which is why I was in denial. Nothing good happens when I love someone. And when Emma died and I wished her away to save her I vowed to myself if I could get her back I would tell her everything and take the risk because losing her without ever knowing what might have been was a worse fate.” Regina looks to Emma who is in an embrace with Henry and smiles. This is her family, her crazy, messed up, time warped, magic family and she would have it no other way. 

Now that Regina is recovered they try to come up with a plan. “So how are we supposed to find Gothel anyway?” The blonde asks as they step out the bar. “Oh I don't think that will be a problem.” Henry replies as they spot a huge tree growing from under the pavement, grass and moss is spouting from all sides, trees and flowers are plowing through buildings and citizens are running and screaming everywhere. “Bloody hell it's a live action horror movie.” Hook yells as he throws his arms up. “We need to get to the well.” Rumple says as he holds up a blue vial. 

The group journeys to the center of town where the well is, which is where they find Gothel still raising nature from the ground. “Not so fast bitch!” The Queen yells as she throws a fireball through Gothel's branches she had growing in the shape of a hut. She keeps throwing them, burning down Gothel's trees while the others start throwing Bursts of their own magic at her. 

Rumple pours the potion in the well and a cloud of magic billows out. He motions to the others and they all reach in the sky and draw the magic into themselves as a power boost while Regina has Gothel distracted. That’s when they attack from all sides. 

Purple, white, red, and green bursts and streams of light flowing into Gothel cause her to pause, stopping her progress. She stumbles back as the others lunge forward ready for another strike but they're not quick enough. Gothel throws a vine around Regina suspending her in the air. “Any closer and your Queen dies!” The vines are squeezing her tightly. “Mom!” “Henry no! Stay back.” She demands. “Go ahead kill her blah blah then what?” Zelena remarks surprising everyone which she did on purpose to distract Gothel so she could throw another stream of green magic at her. This gives Henry the chance to run behind Regina and cut her loose with his dagger as Emma sneaks around the back of Gothel and hits her with a blast of blinding white. Rumple takes the right and ivy the left, now she is surrounded. Their magic combined with her forest magic grows a tree around her slowly merging her with the vines and branches, turning her into wood, a tree. Suddenly the city slowly turns back the forest, trees, grass, moss and flowers disappearing. The citizens cheer and the group of heroes hug each other. Well not all of them Rumple and Hook wouldn't be caught dead hugging. 

“What now?” The question breaks the celebration. Regina grabs Emma's hand, puts her hand on Henry's shoulder looks at the group and says “Now we go home. To Storybrooke, together.” That last word together is said as she looks at Emma. 

“I wouldn't have it any other way Madam Mayor.” Emma smiles. “I think I liked ‘my Queen’ better, 'Princess’.” Regina snickers. Emma groans as she slaps a hand down her face. “You're never gonna let me live that down are you?” “Not a chance.” She shakes her head as they walk hand in hand. 

“Uh don’t you think we should get my grandma?” Lucy asks as she tugs on Regina’s sleeve. Regina rolls her eyes “Ugh I suppose we should do something with that bitch.” Henry turns to Ivy or now Drizzella “Well Drizzella she is your mom, what do you want to do?” A smile creeps her face as she answers. “I think we should leave her in jail a while for her crimes. I actually like it here. I think I want to stay and run the business but change it around to where I am helping people, I can maybe open up the town to other people and expand. But mother definitely had her hand in this and other things in the past so I say we leave her a while.” The group nods as Hook pipes up “Aye, and I would like to stay too, I rather liked being a detective and well someone has to stay on and keep whoever stays in the town safe right? What do you say crocodile? Join me?” Rumple shakes his head “No I need to get back to Storybrooke with the others, this just isn’t my home, you know.” 

“Henry, we should find Sabine er uh Tiana before we go and see if she wants to come back with us.” Jacinda (now Ella) turns to Zelena before continuing “Zelena, you should find Robyn.” Zelena nods “Good looking out love but I already called her before I found you guys and she wants to stay here with Alice. So looks like I will be going home with you guys but she can visit or I can. We talked about it. I will miss her but I understand. She loves that little crazy girl and I can’t stand between love.” 

Ella calls Tiana on her cell and Tiana explains she wants to stay in Hyperion Heights with Drew (Navine) and run the food truck. They talked it over with Regina and all decided for Tiana to take over the bar too. She may even turn it into her own restaurant like she always wanted. With all that settled Rumple and Zelena work on opening a portal. 

“I think we’ve had enough excitement for a lifetime.” Henry comments to Ella “Yes and I can’t wait for Lucy to be as far away from my step mother as possible.” “And I want to see where Daddy grew up!” Lucy jumps excited for a new adventure and to see this town she has only heard of in stories. 

Regina turns to Emma “You are moving in with me right? I am not sharing a space with your mother.” Emma laughs “Pulling out the U-haul already are we Regina? You wanna make us a typical stereotype?” Regina hits Emma in the arm playfully. “I think we’ve wasted enough time don’t you? I hardly say 7 -10 years is a rush to move in.” “7-10 huh?” She shrugs “Yeah I mean with all the curses and time stopping and realm jumping who knows exactly how long it’s been. I’m just saying I don’t want another minute away from you.” Then she kisses the blonde sweetly. 

“I have to admit I will miss my Fiance, despite the curse my feelings were real. Poor guy, he didn’t deserve this.” Zelena says to Rumple as they finish the portal and it opens up. “Shall we?” he gestures for her and the others to go through.

Once through the portal they receive a warm welcome from the town. Jiminy, Gepetto, Snow and David are all clapping and hugging them. “Come, come, get some food, my treat! You guys must be starving.” Granny yells as she runs from the diner pulling them with her. “Ruby get these girls some burgers!” Regina holds a finger up “Uh I will take a salad please.” Granny shoots her a death stare “Non sense, you will have a burger, you need your strength after portal jumping and who the hell knows where you all have been this whole time! I doubt you had a decent meal.” That settles that and there is an impromptu welcome home party thrown for them at the diner where they proceed to explain everything that happened. Mixed emotions flood the town as the prodigal son with the heart of the truest believer returns and has a wife and child. The town is so excited but sad to have missed so much of his life. Snow can’t believe Lucy is so big now as last she saw her she was a baby. 

The kicker is when Regina is all too smug and happy to break the news to Snow and David about her and Emma sharing True Love’s kiss and to her dismay they both exclaim “It’s about damn time!” I mean she is happy they are accepting but she was hoping it would be more satisfying to rub in Snows face in it but instead she won’t shut up about how she’s been waiting for this for years and she is glad they finally stopped denying their feelings. Just when Regina has had enough of her speech Ruby says “I’m glad you finally got your head out you ass, no offense Madam Mayor but damn I could sense the attraction between you two a mile away and it was getting frustrating. It took all I had in me not to say get a room already!” Ruby laughs as she walks off and waits on a few more tables. 

After a long evening with friends, family, and mountains of food Emma and Regina find their way to the mansion with Henry, Ella and Lucy in tow. Lucy is set up in Henry’s old room, while Ella and Henry take the guest room. Lucy will either pass out from the long day or be too excited to sleep, looking at all her dads old stuff. Who knows with this kid, all Regina knows is it’s time to take a certain princess to bed. She leads Emma to the master room “Our room.” she whispers as she pulls Emma in and closes and locks the door. As soon as the door is shut and locked Regina has Emma in her arms and pinned against the door kissing her fiercely. “So now what?” Emma asks breathless. “Now ‘Princess’...” she motions her hand up and Emma is suddenly back in the princess gown. “A certain bar keep gets to have her way with you and make up for lost time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is what you all have been waiting for NSFW and the end of our beautiful story


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the moment we've been waiting for a lil NSFW. The last chapter has come. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

She kisses the blonde with passion as her hands roam. “The princess dress, really Regina?” she asks when they finally catch a breath. 

“Oh yes, I have been thinking of defiling your innocence since I first saw you in my bar. The rough bartender deflowering the princess is high on my to-do list.” She raises an eyebrow at the last part and smirks as she trails a finger tip down Emma's cheek. Emma swallows hard and goes with it, if role play is what Regina wants it’s what she will have. 

To be honest Emma thought about being with Regina a lot as Roni so why complain now? Their attraction running on high, all the years they have wanted each other now lead up to this moment and Emma allows herself to be swept away in it. 

“So Roni, I’m ready for you. How do you want me?” She whispers in Regina’s ear. 

Regina kisses her as she leads her to the bed and starts to untie the back of the dress. “Turn around.” she orders gently.

“As you wish.” Emma nods as she does as requested. 

Regina unties the dress and starts to remove it from Emma’s shoulders as she pulls her to turn her back to where she is facing her before the dress completely falls to the ground. A smile spreads across her face as she inhales sharply to drink in all of Emma’s almost naked body. 

“You’re so beautiful.” 

Before Emma can reply she is being kissed again. The brunette can’t get enough of kissing her as her hands start to roam Emma moans into the kiss urging Regina on more. Olive hands remove her bra slowly, her mouth moves down Emma’s neck kissing and sucking small bruises. She waves her hand to soundproof the room just in case before she continues. 

A hand to her chest gently pushes Emma onto the bed and she climbs up settling down to a comfortable position fully on the bed, all the while Regina’s tongue swirls around a nipple causing another moan from Emma. Regina still dressed as Roni, straddles Emma and rocks her hips as she moves from one nipple to the other. A hand flies into Regina’s hair grasping her closer as Emma rocks her own hips. 

“Oh God.” She breathes and Regina chuckles satisfied with herself. 

She kisses a trail down a toned stomach and God these abs are delicious she thinks as she runs a hand down them as well. Now face to face with where she wants to be the most she slowly pulls the panties down and throws them to the side. She wastes no time and doesn’t tease, she doesn’t have the patience for it. She dives right in licking a long swipe up Emma’s dripping pussy eliciting a moan from them both. Regina continues her up and down motions, her arms wrapped one around each leg holding Emma as she trembles. 

“Regina...oh God Regina” Emma is almost there. 

“Tell me what you need ‘Princess’.” She smirks as she continues. 

“Pressure...please..more.” 

“As you wish.” Regina complies and swirls her tongue around Emma’s clit before sucking hard on it. 

“Yes!” 

Emma screams as Regina flips her over and thrust two fingers inside her, her head now under Emma she continues sucking on her clit as she thrusts harder and faster until she feels and hears Emma’s release and boy is she glad she soundproofed the room. 

She moves out from under Emma and helps her lay on her back on the bed, her legs shaking and muscles weak from a long overdue orgasm. 

Chest heaving “Wow...Jesus Regina.” 

Regina lays on top of Emma a moment just staring at her. She runs her fingers down her face, she grabs her chin and kisses her. Now ready for more Emma grabs at Regina’s shirt and tugs it up. They break apart long enough for Emma to pull it off.

“Oh brave now are we ‘Princess’?” 

Emma undoes her bra and throws it to the side.

“Oh yes My Queen, I’m ready to show you just how brave.” She takes a nipple in her mouth and sucks biting just a bit. 

“Mmm yes you know I like it rough huh” 

Emma smirks “Just a guess.” 

She unbuttons and removes her jeans still kissing exposed skin. 

“Shit.” She gasps when she finally removes her panties. “You’re perfect.” She whispers in her ear as she kisses and nips down her neck. 

Both laying on the bed now face to face, Emma runs a finger between Regina’s folds and moans. 

“Fuck you’re wet.” 

Regina moans and bucks her hips. “Such a dirty mouth from a ‘Princess’.” 

Emma pulls back a bit to look her in the eye. “What are you gonna do? Punish me?” she smirks. 

“mhmm...Later.” Regina replies with a smack to Emma’s ass. 

“Oh God.” Emma’s eyes roll back a bit. 

“That’s it come here.” 

She pulls Regina flush against her, grinding a leg in between them while kissing her with all the passion inside her. She rolls onto Regina, positioning herself between her legs and pushes their wet centers together and grinds. 

Regina gasps “Emma” she whispers. 

Emma continues to rock her hips finding a rhythm they both enjoy and when Regina moans again she drags her nails down Regina’s stomach as she starts to go faster. She watches Regina’s chest heave, her eyes trying to stay open and watch Emma but they flutter shut as her nails dig into Emma’s legs urging her on. Just when she can tell Regina can’t take anymore and is about to cum she climbs off and quickly replaces the previous position with her mouth. All she wants is to taste her in this moment. She runs her tongue up and down and pushes it inside at which Regina moans louder than before and she feels nails now digging in her scalp instead of her legs. She continues on faster and faster, as hard as she can with the soft muscle of her tongue. She can sense Regina is on the edge so she moves her tongue up and circles her clit, then sucks hard with a little teeth and Regina cums hard and fast screaming her name and it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever been a part of. 

They lay in bed after another round with Regina dressed as the Evil Queen because of course that’s been a long time fantasy for Emma and let’s be honest Regina too as she can be a little rougher when in her Evil Queen persona and that is when Emma got her punishment for the earlier comments (not that she didn’t enjoy it because she did.) and now they are recovering. Emma pulls Regina into her side, Regina lays her head on her chest and Emma runs a hand through her hair. She takes a deep breath and looks down at Regina as Regina looks up and smiles. 

“I love you Regina.” 

Regina shimmies up, cups her cheek and replies.

“I’ve loved you a long time Emma.” 

She settles back down on the blondes chest, a hand running up and down her side lightly while pressing small kisses on her chest. 

“I denied this feeling a long time because everyone I love dies and I didn’t want to lose you. Turns out I lost you anyway and I vowed if I could get you back from the wish realm I wouldn’t let you go this time. I wouldn't deny it again and then we were cursed.” She laughs “Who knew we would still fall for each other with different identities and from two different realms.” 

Emma shifts a bit and strokes Regina’s hair again. “I love every version of you Regina.” 

Regina smiles and replies “Says the Princess to the Evil Queen.” 

Emma sighs “Or the princess to the bar keep, or the sheriff to the mayor, or the Savior to the Queen or just Emma to Regina.” 

Regina smiles again. “You really did save me. If you didn't love me you wouldn't have been able to cross realms and we couldn't have broken the curse.”

“I know it’s crazy, I just knew something was off but I couldn’t place it. All I knew was the only time I felt myself and at home was in my dreams with you. That’s how I knew I had to find you.” 

This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said but all Regina can do is laugh a low menacing laugh that makes Emma pull her up. 

“What?” she demands alarmed. 

“Nothing” she says shaking her head and laughing “Its just your parents...God you are a charming with your I had to find you. I will always find you now is at a new level. Oh my God I can’t wait to rub that in. I bet they never found each other across realms with no memories of each other.” 

Emma smiles and shakes her head “Will you ever stop trying to one up my parents?” 

“Nope. Never, it’s too much fun to see Snow’s face, don’t get me wrong we’re friends now but I like winning.” 

“This isn’t a game.” 

“No it’s not but I can make anything a game Miss Swan.” The last part turning seductive as she kisses Emma. As brown eyes gaze into blue-green she caresses her face once more and whispers. 

“Make Love to me Emma.” 

Emma kisses Regina slow and sensual. “I thought you'd never ask.”

They proceed to slowly learn every inch of each other's bodies now savoring each moment, each touch, noise and flinch. When they're finally done showing how much they both care and love the other they are weak and sore in the best ways and it's almost sunrise. 

“Have you ever wanted more kids?” 

Emma looks to Regina surprised at the question. “ Um. I never thought about it. I didn't even plan Henry, I'm just lucky he found me.” 

Regina just hums in response as she stays held in Emma's arms, she looks on her eyes and searches a moment before her reply. 

“Emma, you make me happy and I never want this to end. We did a great job raising Henry but we didn’t do it as a couple as much as I would have liked. I hope one day we can try again?” 

Emma raises an eyebrow “What like have a baby?” 

She nods, Emma smiles “As you wish.” 

Regina looks back at Emma with all the love in her heart. “No my love, it seems it’s as you wish since your wish brought us together enchanting me with your charming self.” 

She chuckles and Emma kisses her again and says “As we both wish then.” 

They smile at each other before cuddling together and drifting off to a comfortable sleep for the first time in a long time feeling happy, safe and complete and knowing they have a long bright future ahead.


End file.
